The Rise of the Repentant
by Cyrus Truth
Summary: A year has passed since the defeat of Deepground. Cloud and his friends have all settled back into their normal lives. But the peace they all worked so hard for is threatened by a mysterious group and their enigmatic leader. First fanfic, review please
1. Chapter 1

"Strife Delivery Service, this is Tifa."

Another day, another set of orders for Cloud Strife to handle once he finished his rounds for the day. It's been close to a year since the incident with Deepground and the Omega Weapon, and for the most part things have settled down in the world again. Reeve Tuesti and the World Regenesis Organization had been busy cleaning up the many messes that the Shinra Electric Power Company had left in their wake both prior to and after Meteorfall. Thanks to the efforts from the WRO (with help from former members of the eco-terrorist group AVALANCHE), the Planet had been steadily repairing the damage caused to it by Shinra and the Mako Reactors.

For Tifa Lockhart, life went on much as it always had after she and her friends banded together to save the planet four years ago. She still managed the Seventh Heaven Bar and Restaurant in the city of Edge, built after the destruction of Midgar. Since Meteorfall, it seemed as if the battles never ended. First, the assault of Geostigma and the Remnants; then the Omega incident…

Still, between Tifa's bar and Cloud's deliveries, the two had managed to create a comfortable life for themselves and the children in their care. Not only that, but lately Cloud has been smiling more and spending more time at home...a difference that Tifa was very pleased with. Cloud still had problems expressing his feelings, but Tifa figured that would come in time. For now, Marlene and Denzel were happy, and so was she.

Tifa finished writing down the delivery details and headed back behind the bar to clean up the shot glasses. Business was a bit slow today, and with Marlene and Denzel still at school, the Seventh Heaven was unusually quiet. Tifa considered turning on the radio to try and break the silence; but before she could flip the switch, the familiar sound of Fenrir's engine echoed in the distance.

Tifa's heart skipped a bit of a beat. With the number of deliveries that Cloud had today, he shouldn't have been home until much later. Did something happen on today's run? Was Cloud injured in a fight with some monsters?

"_Stop thinking like that, Tifa," _she told herself. _"Cloud's too strong to get blindsided by some dumb animals. It's probably nothing…"_

Still, once Cloud pulled up in front of the bar and Tifa saw him alive and well, she breathed a sigh of relief. Cloud dismounted Fenrir and removed his goggles like he always did, and did that little wave of his as he walked into the bar.

"Cloud!" Tifa said as she rushed over to hug him. "What are you doing here? I thought you had deliveries all day!"

Cloud was a little shocked with Tifa's reaction, but he placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled a little. "Hey, Tifa. Sorry. My deliveries didn't take as long as I thought they would. I finished early."

Tifa released Cloud and gave him a light smack on the head. "Hey, what's this 'Sorry' crap? It's just that you never finish early. You're either making deliveries or killing monsters for spoils."

"Hmm, there were no monsters worth killing today. So, I finished up my last delivery to the Chocobo Ranch and decided to come home early…is that a problem?"

"No, no!" Tifa replied while shaking her head. "It's…nice having you home. Just didn't expect it. The kids'll be happy to see you when school lets out."

Cloud gave a little smile and grunted like he always did. Tifa chuckled a little as Cloud sat down to go over the new deliveries for tomorrow as Tifa poured him a drink of Corel wine. "So, how's Goldie holding up?"

"As happy as a chocobo gets. I think he's a little jealous of Fenrir," Cloud answered.

"Well, can you blame him?" Tifa playfully retorted. "You raised that chocobo, raced him to a championship in the Gold Saucer, and rode him for miles in the ocean for that materia on Round Island. Then all of a sudden, you trade him in for a large, noisy, mechanical replacement. If I were Goldie, I'd be jealous too!"

Cloud made what seemed like a laugh disguised as a grunt as he continued flipping through the orders. As he finished his drink, his cell phone started ringing. Cloud looked at the caller ID with a confused look on his face as Tifa asked, "Who's that?"

Cloud opened the phone as he replied, "It's Vincent. Hey, what's up?"

Vincent, in his usual cool and somber way, answered, "Cloud, I have a problem…"

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The quaint village of Nibelheim had been a ghost town ever since the fall of Shinra. The elaborate charade that Shinra had spent millions of Gil to construct was no longer needed since the events of the Nibelheim Fire became public knowledge after Meteorfall, and thus the former Shinra employees left the rebuilt town to return to their own homes and restart their own lives. Save for the enigmatic and reclusive Vincent Valentine, the only people who come to Nibelheim those days were only passing through the Nibel Mountain Pass.

"_That makes this place perfect for our Collective," _thought the strange man in the tattered grey overcoat. His fingers fidgeted with his glasses as he observed his comrades moving equipment, weapons, and various other supplies into the abandoned houses. The man in the glasses looked over his clipboard and continued taking inventory and monitoring the action when one of his comrades ran up to him.

"Master Cyrus! It seems that our earlier intelligence was indeed correct. The Shinra employees who masqueraded as this town's population have all vacated. In addition, there is a large quantity of Shinra technology and supplies that seem to be in working order. It appears that the residents did not feel the need to take the tech with them when they left."

"Very good, Nimuria…see if we can't repurpose that technology and use it in our operations. Before that, make sure our comrades have everything set up. I have a feeling we'll be setting up shop here for quite a while."

"Yes, sir!" Nimuria said with a bow as she ran off to supervise the set-up of an armory in the old weapon shop. The man called Cyrus smiled in satisfaction at his first officer's dedication and capability. As he was admiring her striking silhouette and her long, auburn-colored hair, another of his lieutenants walked up to deliver his report.

"I take it your search of Shinra Manor is complete, Atlas," Cyrus stated, even though he knew what the answer was.

The hulking monolith called Atlas replied, "It is. And as we expected, the original manuscripts detailing the Jenova Project as well as the various 'side projects' conducted in Nibelheim are all accounted for in the cellar. Our comrades have cleared the mansion of all monsters and have started repairing the gates and walls to keep them out."

"And the red-cloaked specter?"

"He was nowhere to be found. But we found evidence suggesting he has been residing in the manor recently. If he returns…"

Cyrus cut him off with a wave of his hand. "If he returns, we will deal with him. For now, concentrate on fortifying our defenses. The last thing any of us needs is unwanted intrusions from the local wildlife. Don't you agree?"

"Yes, master," Atlas answered as he lumbered back in the direction of Shinra Manor. Cyrus readjusted his glasses as he continued to look over the hustle and bustle of his companions. He wryly smiled as he felt the warm glow of the morning sun.

"_Oh, yes. This place will do quite nicely."_

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	2. Chapter 2

Vincent Valentine was never an easy man to get a hold of when he chose to make himself scarce. Few blamed him, though; considering the horrific experiments performed on him by the now deceased Professor Hojo, it was surprising that anyone ever saw the former Turk.

Of course, that all changed when a group of travelers happened across him in the depths of Shinra Manor. Since that fateful day, Vincent had become something of a tragic hero of the Planet, and there were few that had not heard of him…especially after the Battle of Midgar and the clash between his Chaos form and Omega Weapon. Still, Vincent preferred to keep out the public eye as much as possible and only kept in contact with his former AVALANCHE teammates and, on rare occasion, with Reeve Tuesti and the WRO. Even then, messages from Vincent Valentine were few and far between.

So when Cloud received that phone call from Vincent two days ago, he knew it had to be important business. So, he and Tifa arranged for Marlene and Denzel to stay with Elmyra Gainsborough in Kalm as they rode to meet Vincent. Fortunately, they were of a handful of people who knew where Vincent Valentine could be found, and if he wasn't cooped up in Nibelheim, there was only one other place.

After traversing the rough terrain of the Corel Mountains, Cloud and Tifa finally managed to reach their destination: a cavern concealed by a waterfall near the center of the Western Continent. After dismounting Fenrir and sheathing First Tsurugi on his back, Cloud led Tifa behind the waterfall into the cavern. They didn't need any flashlights or candles, as the natural crystal formations in the cavern glowed bright enough to show them the way to the inner chamber.

There, sitting on the ground with his back against one of the crystal formations, was Vincent Valentine. As expected, his attention was directed to the largest of the crystals, silently pondering as Cloud and Tifa approached him.

"Still can't let her go, can you?" Cloud said as he sat down next to Vincent.

Vincent let out a bit of a chuckle as he replied in his usually gravelly voice, "You're one to talk. I doubt you came here to talk about that."

"Actually, we don't know what we came here to talk about," Tifa interjected as she sat down in front of the two men. "All we know is that you called us because you apparently have a problem you couldn't handle by yourself, something we both had a hard time believing."

"Hmph. I didn't know both of you would come. I suppose it doesn't really matter. And it's not really a problem…more like an observation."

"An observation?" Cloud asked. "What observation?"

Vincent cleared his throat and continued, "A strange group of people recently moved into Nibelheim. They seem to be setting up a sort of command center in the town. On top of that, they seem to be taking an interest in the documents stored beneath Shinra Manor."

Vincent paused a bit. He wasn't used to saying so much at any given time. "I don't know what it is they're up to, but so far they don't appear to be up to anything dangerous. Still, I thought it was something you might want to know."

"Nibelheim…" Cloud said as he pondered what that town symbolized for him and Tifa. "Have you told anyone else about this?"

"Reeve. I figured if those strangers were up to something, the WRO would be best-equipped to handle it. He said he'd investigate it, but…"

"I see," Tifa said. "So, Vincent…where are you going to go? You obviously can't go back to Shinra Manor."

Vincent waved his hand as if to say he'd be staying right where he was.

"Oh, no you don't!" Tifa said in a huff. "You're staying with one of our friends until this gets sorted out and that's that!"

Vincent lowered his head and looked to Cloud for some possible backup. Cloud shook his head and simply stated, "I'm not disagreeing with Tifa. It'll just mean more trouble for me."

Vincent, despite being irritated at Tifa's demands and Cloud's indifference, had to smile underneath his cowl. "It seems she has you trained rather well, Cloud. Fine, I'll make some calls."

"Good," Tifa stated in approval. "Cloud, since we're in the area, why don't we pay a visit to Barret? He might know something about what's going on in Nibelheim."

Cloud nodded and grunted his approval as both he and Tifa stood up and walked towards the mouth of the cave. Cloud thought he could hear Vincent talking to someone, though he couldn't be sure if it was someone on the phone or "her." He quickly dismissed this, knowing full well that Vincent was capable of taking care of himself. After exiting the cave and re-sheathing First Tsurugi into the specialized compartment on Fenrir, both Cloud and Tifa headed back down the mountain toward the Corel Mining Camp.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As his helicopter descended on the outskirts of the former ghost town of Nibelheim, Reeve Tuesti had to wonder what it was he was hoping to accomplish. The World Regenesis Organization's work already took too much of his attention, and now this? Reeve knew that the WRO needed years, maybe decades to reverse the damage done by Shinra, and with events and occurrences like this happening every year or two…

"Director! We've landed. It's safe for you to exit the helicopter!"

The shouting of the WRO infantryman broke Reeve's thinking. Reeve shook his head and decided that it was too soon to judge what, if any, problems this group would pose to the Planet and the WRO. With that in mind, he and two WRO troopers left the helicopter and headed toward Nibelheim's southern gate.

As they got closer to the hamlet's entrance, Reeve noticed that there was a welcoming committee awaiting his arrival.

A three-person committee, as it appeared.

One was a giant of a man, close to seven feet tall and looking like he was chiseled out of pure mythril ore. He wore a sleeveless black shirt with matching pants, both looking like they may have been a size or two too small for his massive frame. A pair of perpendicular yellow lines met at his left pectoral. This mammoth had a long and prickly mane of blonde hair that descended past his shoulders. His grey eyes looked almost lifeless; and yet, Reeve noticed those eyes never stop peering at him and his troopers.

Standing next to that mountain of a man was a woman with reddish-brown hair and midnight blue eyes. She was of average height, and wore an outfit similar to her associate. Reeve admitted to himself that she was a very attractive woman, her curves all well-defined and sculpted like a champion athlete. He also noticed the scars that ran down the side of her right cheek. From the scars and the way she stood like a viper ready to strike, Reeve had a feeling that this woman was no stranger to death and killing.

Unlike her much larger counterpart, the woman's gaze never left the third member of this trio. This man was as tall as Reeve and had long black hair with a stripe of white that ended at his shoulders. And like the other two, he wore the same uniform with the yellow lines intersecting. He also wore a grey overcoat that was tattered at the bottom, suggesting that this coat had gone through quite a bit of traveling. In the man's left hand, he held a cane that looked like it had been fashioned out of a piece of driftwood. The cane was close to a meter in length and was bent at a right angle at the top, forming the handgrip.

This man, however, rarely held it like that. Instead, he preferred to hold it halfway up the shaft and rest it left shoulder, the grip sitting on the back of his neck. It all seemed a bit strange to Reeve, but he had little time to ponder it as the man with the cane walked down to greet him.

"Mr. Reeve Tuesti, correct? Welcome to Nibelheim. My name is Cyrus Thresher."

The man who called himself Cyrus extended his hand, and Reeve almost instantly took it in his own to shake. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Thresher. And please, just call me Reeve."

"Likewise, please call me Cyrus. It is an honor to meet the director of the World Regenesis Organization, but I am curious as to what you are doing out here."

"It's funny. I was about to ask you the same question," Reeve replied. "Few people have shown an interest in Nibelheim since Meteorfall, especially considering this town's history."

"Ah, yes. I assume you are referring to the Nibelheim Incident and the subsequent Shinra cover-up. My comrades and I are well aware of this town's sordid past. Even so, we wanted to settle here and make it our home. After all, it would be a shame to waste the millions Shinra spent reconstructing the village…don't you agree?"

"A valid point," Reeve conceded, "but it is strange that no one has ever heard or seen you and your associates until just recently. And there is the issue of a certain friend of mine…"

"…Vincent Valentine," Cyrus said, finishing Reeve's sentence. "We know of his connection to this place, but I was unaware that Mr. Valentine chose to dwell in Nibelheim, and we had no evidence to suggest that he had been here in some time. Of course, if it is not the case, we don't want to evict a man from his home. If Mr. Valentine wishes it, we can make arrangements for him. I hope we can find a solution to this issue before things get unnecessarily complicated."

"As do I. But you still haven't explained why people are just hearing about you and your group."

"It pains me to admit, but my people are somewhat xenophobic. Shinra had done terrible things to us in the past and it had left many of us incapable of trust in anyone but each other. It is my hope is that we can change that, given time."

Something about this Cyrus didn't sit too well with Reeve. It wasn't so much his speech as it was the look in his eyes. Plus, everything about this group seemed to suggest that they were more like a military unit than a group of immigrants. This man was hiding something, but what? "So I see. Well, Nibelheim technically doesn't belong to anyone since Shinra's collapse, so I see no reason not to let you and your group reside here if you so choose. However…"

Cyrus stopped Reeve before he could finish with a wave of his hand. "I know where you're going with this, but you have nothing to worry about. We have no desire to inflict any future harm onto the Planet, and wish only for what's best for this world. If anything, you and I share a similar desire."

"Oh?" Reeve asked as he cocked an eyebrow. "And what might that be?"

Cyrus lowered his head and slyly smiled, "The Planet's forgiveness, of course."

That statement shook Reeve up a little. _"The Planet's forgiveness?" _he thought. _"What could he mean by that?"_

"Well, Mr. Reeve, unless you have any other questions for me, I do have some pressing matters that need my attention," Cyrus stated, breaking Reeve's train of thought whilst readjusting his glasses.

"Oh, yes I think that will suffice for now. And I also have pressing WRO issues that must be taken care of," Reeve replied. "However, I may have some other things to discuss with you in the future."

"Of course. Please, feel free to visit anytime. I did enjoy our meeting today."

"And I as well. Men, let's return to headquarters. Mr. Cyrus, until next we meet."

Reeve and his two WRO men turned back towards the helicopter and, after a few minutes, took off into the sky. Reeve took one last glance at the three people who greeted him at Nibelheim's gate…in particular, the man who called himself Cyrus, who now was waving goodbye from the ground.

Even though he had just met Cyrus Thresher, Reeve immediately decided he did not like the man. Something sinister was lurking behind his hazel eyes, and Reeve swore that he would use whatever resources he had to find out what it was. Until then, he had other fires to put out.

Still, it wouldn't hurt to have a set of eyes in the area just to be safe.

Despite the feeling of dread, Reeve couldn't help but chuckle. Cid would probably hate it, but what else was new? Reeve decided to go ahead with his idea as soon as he reached HQ. In the meantime, he decided to take a quick nap. After all, who knows when he'll get a chance to sleep again?


	3. Chapter 3

"Well, that was a lovely little conversation, wouldn't you agree?" Cyrus asked his lieutenants after the helicopter carrying Reeve Tuesti disappeared over the horizon.

"Strange, he didn't once mention the Shinra Documents," Nimuria commented. "Is it possible he doesn't know about them?"

"Unlikely. Either he believes we don't know about the secrets of Shinra Manor, he doesn't care that we have them, or he's waiting to see what we do with them. And from what I've learned about Reeve, he's taking a wait-and-see approach with our Collective. Either way, it makes little difference. Atlas, how goes our efforts in cataloging the Shinra Documents?"

"Our comrades are making excellent progress. Most of the information detailing the Jenova Project has been transferred into computer files for ease of use. We still have not gone through the more obscure documents…"

"No need to worry about it," Cyrus interrupted. "Finish up with the Jenova documents and have the originals shipped to Fort Condor. And make sure Reeve knows we were the ones to send them."

Atlas was taken aback by that order. "Sir?"

Cyrus smiled and removed his glasses. As he was cleaning them, he explained, "Don't worry, my friend. In Reeve's mind, the Jenova Project represents the greatest threat to him and his precious organization. He has little to no idea what other secrets are stored in Shinra Manor, and this gesture will keep him from asking too many questions long enough for our plans to fall into place."

After wiping off the last smudge, Cyrus placed his glasses back on his nose. He continued, "In the meantime…Nimuria, are our comrades in position?"

"Yes, master. All three of your officers are in position outside their designated target areas. They're ready to commence their operations on your order."

"Good. Tell them to verify the targets before commencing with the operation. Once they've verified, give them the go-ahead. I'm very interested to see what we can learn…"

"Of course. I will relay your orders to the others. If you will excuse me."

Cyrus nodded as Nimuria bowed and headed off to their makeshift communications center. Atlas looked at Cyrus and asked, "Master, are you sure about this? Testing them in this manner? What is it you hope to accomplish?"

"Call it indulging my curiosity. I want to see what they are capable of. You hear the stories, but they don't tell you everything. Knowledge is power, Atlas. Never forget that."

Atlas nodded slowly in agreement. "Yes. I understand. If you will allow it, permit me to oversee the cataloguing of the Shinra Documents."

"Please do."

As Atlas walked off towards Shinra Manor, Cyrus wandered over to the well in the center of town. He cupped his hands and took a drink from the well. It was cold and refreshing, without the slightest taint of Mako. As he stood in the center of Nibelheim and took in the breath-taking view of the Nibel Mountains, his thoughts wandered back to his conversation with Reeve Tuesti. Under his breath, he let out a bit of laugh.

"_That fool…he has no clue what awaits him…"_

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"So, that's how it is."

Vincent finished telling his story to the guardian of Cosmo Canyon. Though his true name was Nanaki, he'd always be known to the former members of AVALANCHE as Red XIII, or Red for short.

"Yeah. Nibelheim has new residents, and I hate to impose…"

Red shook his head, his crimson mane flowing in sync. "Think nothing of it, Vincent. As guardian of Cosmo Canyon, it is my pleasure to welcome you as an ally and a friend. Though I am curious as to why anyone would choose to live in that town, considering all the horrors that Shinra and Sephiroth wrought there."

Vincent gave a bit of grunt as Red immediately realized what it was he said. After all, Vincent thought of himself as one of those horrors. "Oh! Forgive me, Vincent. That was inconsiderate of me…"

"…It's nothing. So, I take it you hadn't heard about this before today."

"No. Word travels slow to this village, and with all the new students of Planet Life coming in daily, it's difficult to keep up with current events."

"I see," Vincent replied as his thoughts drifted for a few seconds. Red broke Vincent's concentration by asking, "So, what do you think? What is this group after?"

"Hard to say. It could be they're just looking for a home…or maybe something else."

"Well, I'm sure we'll get answers soon enough. Between Cloud and the WRO, I feel sorry for that group if they cause any trouble. In the meantime, let me show you…"

Red was immediately cut off by the sound of the village's bell. "What's going on?" Vincent asked.

"Nanaki!" one of Cosmo Canyon's elders shouted. "Yuno spotted a pack of desert sahagins approaching the village! They'll be at the gates in two minutes!"

"Sahagins?" Red asked, clearly confused. "They don't usually travel in large groups, and they rarely attack settlements. Why now…?"

"Hmph."

Red's train of thought was broken by Vincent's grunt and the sound of him loading his Cerberus handgun. "I'm going. You coming?"

Almost instantly, Red realized what Vincent was getting at. Cosmo Canyon was in danger, and it was his duty to protect this sacred place. "Yes. By my father's honor, I will not let one of those beasts set one foot inside this village."

Vincent made a sound which Red interpreted as agreement. Both of them ran down towards Cosmo Canyon's exit, waiting for the sahagins to approach. As they waited, Red couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched…and studied.

"_It's nothing," _Red thought as the first sahagin appeared over the cliff. Vincent fired and hit the sahagin directly between its beady little eyes. The battle was met, and whatever thoughts and concerns Red had were erased. He was Nanaki, son of Seto, and nothing else mattered. He rushed towards the pack of sahagins as the sound of Cerberus firing echoed through the canyon.

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**Author's Notes: So that's three chapters...hmm.**

**Well, just a forewarning, I won't be uploading everyday. I'll try to get as many chapters up as soon as possible. So please be patient!**

**As always, reviews are welcome. Whether I rock or suck, I'd like to know.**

**Thanks for reading,**

**"The Exile" Cyrus Truth**


	4. Chapter 4

"Hell no! Ain't no goddamn way that's gonna happen!"

Cid Highwind was pissed off. He had taken the week off from commanding the WRO's airship fleet to spend some time with his wife Shera at their home in Rocket Town and just get away from it all.

"_And yet, that fucking bastard Reeve sends the brat to bother me?! God-dammit all to hell and back…" _Cid thought until his inner musings were interrupted by the self-proclaimed "Single White Rose of Wutai."

"Aw, c'mon Cid! Reeve promised you'd help me do some spying on Nibelheim!" Yuffie protested in her usual annoying manner. Most people thought that, at age 20, Yuffie Kisaragi would've grown up a bit and become more ladylike.

That couldn't be farther from the truth. Sure, Yuffie had grown up into a lovely young woman in her own right and had handled the responsibility of commanding the WRO's reconnaissance force admirably. But deep down at heart, she was still the same whiny little girl that, only Holy-knows-how, ended up helping AVALANCHE save the Planet from Sephiroth and Meteor. If anything, her role in the WRO had made her even more pushy and intolerable, as she thought it was a testament to not only her "elite ninja skills," but her "incredible knack for espionage and military management."

Cid continued smoking his cigarette at a fast rate even by his standards as Yuffie continued ranting, "And don't forget that your sorry butt works for the WRO too, buster! Reeve wants us to keep an eye on Nibelheim, and I'm not leaving until you get off your old ass and come with me!"

"Yuffie, although Reeve probably neglected to mention this to you, I'M ON FUCKING VACATION!!! So get yer scrawny ass off my front porch before I take my goddamn boot and kick your ass myself!"

"Yeah right, you sexist old geezer! How in the hell does Shera put up with you? Gawd, I thought she would've kicked you out the minute she figured out you were nothing more than an over-the-hill, scraggly, impotent bastard!!"

"Yuffie, I swear to Bahamut, if I hear one more word outta that shithole you call a mouth, I'll…"

"Cid, who's at the door?" said the calm voice of Shera from the kitchen.

"No one!" Cid angrily shouted back.

"Hi Shera! It's me, Yuffie! Just stopping by to visit!" Yuffie said in her sweetest voice possible.

"Oh, hello Yuffie! Please, come in for some tea!" Shera said in response

"I'd be happy to!" Yuffie stated with a look of superiority on her face. As she passed Cid by the front door, she stuck out her tongue as one final insult before marching into the house. Cid grabbed the goggles from on top of his head and threw them down in disgust. He was one second away from smashing them with his foot when Shera interrupted:

"Oh, and Cid? There's another visitor here to see you?"

"_Another visitor? When the fuck did I become so popular?" _Cid mused as he picked up his goggles and entered the house. There was Shera, chatting it up with Yuffie over a teakettle. The pickup Cid was working on rebuilding in the makeshift garage next door, the table in the center, everything was in place. Except for that giant pink marshmallow…

"Hiya Cid! Long time no see! How's the married life treating ya??"

Cait Sith…Reeve's personal creation, a two-foot tall robotic black cat possessing a highly advanced AI program. While it was under Reeve's command, Cait Sith was capable of independent thought and decision-making, making it a valuable tool for spying and infiltration. However, when paired with the giant moogle doll he was currently sitting on top of (who Cait Sith insisted on calling "Mog"), Cait Sith was able to put up a decent fight. Not directly, of course; Cait Sith would sit on the moogle's shoulders and shout orders through a megaphone. A marvel of technology…too bad it suffered from a similarly annoying personality to that of Yuffie. Plus, this Cait Sith's predecessor had betrayed AVALANCHE in the past, a fact that Cid Highwind wasn't about to forget anytime soon.

"So, I get the annoying brat and the alley cat. For fuck's sake, why can't I just enjoy my time off in peace?!" Cid shouted. His frustration continued to build at the thought of having to deal with not only Yuffie, but Cait Sith as well.

Cait Sith responded, "Yikes! Nice to see you too, Highwind! Geez, I knew when Reeve sent me here you'd be a little irritated, but I didn't expect this at all. Not even a 'how ya doing, Cait old buddy, old pal?'"

"I ain't yer pal. And if yer here for what I think yer here for…well, talk to the ninja brat. I'm on vacation, so get the hell outta my house!"

"Cid!" Shera exclaimed with her hands on her hips. "That's no way to talk to our guests?"

"GUESTS?!?! Shera, they're here to ruin my…I mean, our vacation. I don't get a whole lotta time off, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let these two take away our time together."

"But Cid, this is important!" Yuffie interjected. "And not just the normal kind of important, either! It's super-duper important!"

"She's right!" Cait Sith chirped in. "Reeve's got a really bad feeling about this group that's moved into Nibelheim, and the boss's bad feeling plus freaky Nibelheim can only mean trouble for the Planet!"

"A bad feeling, eh?" Cid said mockingly. "Well, sorry, but I'm gonna need more than a bad feeling from Reeve before I…"

Cid stopped as he heard something out of place…something like the flapping of bat's wings. "Ah, hell," Cid muttered under his breath as he grabbed his spear and bolted out the front door.

"H-hey! Cid! Wait up!" Yuffie shouted as both she and Cait Sith followed the pilot out onto the main street of Rocket Town. As they met Cid outside, they followed his eyes to see what he was muttering about…a trio of Green Dragons were circling the village and preparing to land.

"Holy Leviathan…" Yuffie stammered as she unfastened her trusty shuriken from her back and stood in the ready position. Cait Sith said nothing, save for some small whispers to his moogle companion.

"Cid?" Shera shouted from the kitchen. There was a slight tone of worry in her voice as she asked, "What's going on out there?"

"Nothing to worry about," Cid replied without skipping a beat. His tone oozed of confidence as he continued saying, "Just say in there and keep the tea hot. I won't be long."

Shera shouted something unintelligible as Cid firmly gripped the shaft of his trusty weapon. The first dragon landed in the center of the village as Cid stood ready, spear directed towards the mighty beast.

"_Some fucking vacation," _Cid thought as he jumped into battle.

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Fenrir pulled into the makeshift collection of tents and mining equipment that was once the village of North Corel. After the destruction of the original Corel Village, the population was forced to move north into the mountains and live like vagrants. The only people who came to North Corel were usually just passing through on their way to the Gold Saucer.

However, after Meteorfall and the subsequent Shinra collapse, North Corel and the people who lived there became incredibly important. Because of the people's unwillingness to use Mako energy, Corel's miners and excavators were now needed more than ever. In the years following Meteorfall, the people of Corel had rebuilt their village on the eastern side of the continent in the foothills of the Corel Mountains and used the old North Corel location as a base camp for mining and drilling operations, renaming it the Corel Mining Camp.

As Cloud idled Fenrir to a stop in front of the largest tent, he stopped to admire just how much the camp had changed over the years. When he and his friends first passed through this area, the atmosphere was one of anger, hopelessness, and despair. Now, just four years later, the camp was a bustling hotbed of activity.

Cloud smiled a little as he and Tifa dismounted Fenrir and walked into the large tent. There, standing with a group of miners and discussing today's drilling locations, was a very large man with a mechanical arm.

"Hey, Barret!" Tifa shouted. "Long time no see!"

"Tifa! Spiky!" Barret shouted back as he quickly finished giving out jobs to his crew. He ran around the table where he was looking at his maps and gave Tifa a big bear hug. After nearly squeezing the life out of her, he shook Cloud's hand before pulling him in for a hug as well.

"Nice…to…see…you…too…Barret," Cloud managed to croak out as Barret finally released him.

"Damn, it's been too long, you two! Well, come on…I'll give ya the grand tour!"

Barret led Cloud and Tifa outside and started talking to them all about the work he and the Corel miners had been doing over the past year. He pointed out specific pieces of equipment and explained how they worked and where they were being used. Cloud and Tifa listened as intently as they could, knowing that asking Barret to stop or looking inattentive was the quickest path to a Barret-sized slap to the back of the head.

Finally, Barret stopped talking about the mining camp and asked, "So, how's Marlene doin'? She keepin' up with her schoolwork and all that?"

Both Cloud and Tifa nodded as Tifa answered, "Yeah, both Marlene and Denzel are doing great in school. They're staying with Elmyra until we get back, so you don't have to worry."

"Did I say I was worried? Still, it's good they staying with Aeris's momma. She'll keep 'em in line. So, whaddya doin' all the way out here?"

Cloud took a quick breath as he proceeded to explain everything that Vincent had told him in the Crystal Cave. Barret listened intently and nodded when it seemed appropriate. When Cloud finished talking, Barret crossed his arms and looked up towards the sky.

"Yeah, that does seem kinda weird. But, I'm afraid you lookin' at the wrong guy. I ain't heard nuthin' about Nibelheim or any strange group, so I couldn't tell ya nuthin' new. But if I hear sumthin' you'll be the first people I tell."

"Thanks Barret. I'd appreciate that."

"What? Naw, it ain't anything to be thankin' me for, Spiky! Just helpin' a couple old friends out, nothing too…"

The ringing of his phone interrupted Barret's sentence. He looked more than a little upset as he answered the phone.

"Yeah, it's Barret…look, I'm kinda talkin' to some friends of mine and…whoa, whoa, slow done Gray…what? You shittin' me? GODDAMMIT!!! All right, calm down. Keep yourself out of trouble. I'll be there soon, got it?"

As Barret hung up, Tifa asked, "What's going on, Barret?"

"That piece of shit Mako Reactor's been offline for years, yet Reeve and his group of jackasses haven't gotten around to tearing that sumbitch down. It's a big nest for a lot of monsters, and apparently sumthin' set 'em off. They're swarmin' around one of our dig sites, and I gotta get over there and bust some skulls!"

Tifa nodded. "Cloud?"

Cloud nodded in agreement. "I'll go grab my sword."

Barret realized what they were getting at and nodded in approval. "Thanks, guys. I appreciate it. I'll bring the truck around, so you two get ready to kick some monster ass!"

Cloud was already heading towards Fenrir to grab First Tsurugi along with the rest of his collection of blades. Tifa never relied on anything other than her fists and feet to fight with, so all she had to do was take out a pair of fingerless fighting gloves from her pocket and slide them on. Despite the danger, Tifa had to smile a little. It had been a long time since she, Cloud, and Barret fought together, and a small part of her looked forward to it.

"_Just like old times," _Tifa thought as she and Cloud ran towards where Barret was waiting. They climbed in as Barret floored the accelerator and sped towards the area of the old Corel Reactor.

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Cyrus held onto his cane as he sat in one of the bedrooms of Shinra Manor, looking very intently at the videos streaming onto his computer screen.

"_Let's see just what they're capable of," _he thought as he sipped a glass of water and thumbed through one of the books from the basement of the manor. As he watched, a sly smile formed on his lips as he remembered what he had told Atlas earlier that day.

**_Knowledge is power…_**

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**Author's Notes: So I said that I wasn't going to be uploading every day...well, I couldn't sleep last night and decided to start on this chapter. So there.**

**If I can sleep normally, I probably will be a little less frequent. Of course, if my insomnia continues...well, let's not think about it.**

**Again, thanks to everyone for reading and stay tuned for Chapter 5. Extra bonus points for reviews!**

**Later,**

**"The Exile" Cyrus Truth**


	5. Chapter 5

As Red fought amongst the group of rampaging sahagins, Vincent stood very still, the only movement coming from his right arm as he fired Cerberus into the fray. Knowing full well that sahagins had incredibly tough shells, Vincent took his time and aimed carefully for headshots. Once he had gotten his range and aim, it became all one motion: shoot, kill, reload…shoot, kill, reload…

"Vincent!" Red shouted after ripping out the throat of a sahagin with his powerful jaws. "The chief! Kill him and the rest will flee!"

Just as Red said that, a much larger sahagin appeared over the horizon. Vincent figured that it had to be the Chief Sahagin as he finished reloading Cerberus and started to aim. Before Vincent could get a clear shot at its head, the Chief Sahagin started to push through the ranks of his minion and charged towards Vincent. Surprisingly, the large monster was incredibly quick…too quick to get a clean shot at, Vincent immediately realized. After waiting a few more seconds to let the monster close the gap, Vincent leapt into the air and vaulted over the Chief Sahagin as he pulled Cerberus's trigger. The round hit the Chief Sahagin on the top of his head, killing him before he had a chance to fall down. Once it did, the remaining sahagins screeched what Vincent interpreted as a cry of mourning as they retreated back into the valley, away from Cosmo Canyon.

As Vincent holstered Cerberus and shook the dust off his cloak, Red walked up to him, his face and paws stained in sahagin blood. His tail glowed like fire in the setting sun as he commented, "Well, glad that's over it. Thank you for your help, Vincent."

"It's nothing…" Vincent said before something caught his eye. He walked over to the Chief Sahagin's corpse and knelt down near his head. There, on the back of the monster's neck, was a small, metal circular disk of Shinra-make. He stood up and showed the disk to Red. "Any idea what this is?"

Red shook his head. "You're asking me about a piece of Shinra technology? If you don't know what it is, how can I be expected to?"

"Fair enough. You said that this sahagin commands the others?"

"Yes. Sahagin fight for control of the pack, and typically the largest and strongest among them emerge the victor. However, the sahagin have no real command structure, so once their leader falls, they panic and flee."

"So, if someone controlled the Chief Sahagin, they'd control all of them?" Vincent asked as he studied the disk more intently.

"Well yes…" Red said as he suddenly realized what Vincent was alluding to. Vincent, as stoic as always, slipped the disk into a pocket and said, "Let's go back to the village. I need to talk to Reeve."

Red nodded in agreement as the two made their way up the stairs and back to Cosmo Canyon. Neither said a word, but Vincent's mind was pondering this new development and what it all meant. He decided that until he had more information, worrying about it wouldn't do any good.

Vincent would know more after talking to Reeve and, more importantly, what his response was going to be.

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"_Yeesh! Why do I have to fight? I HATE FIGHTING!" _Cait Sith thought as he and his partner Mog were staring down one of the Green Dragons that had decided to invade Rocket Town.

Even though he took his commands from his creator Reeve, Cait Sith had a mind of his own and was not above letting others know it. Cait had made it known more times than anyone could count that he was a spy, not a fighter. Even with the additional muscle Mog's robotic skeleton provided, Cait Sith hated battles and loathed that all his friends were so much more comfortable with it. Heck, both Cid and Yuffie were looking right at home confronting the other two dragons, whereas he just looked like a small appetizer on top of a giant blob of cotton candy.

"_Knock it off, Cait!" _the robotic cat shouted to himself, _"You can do this. It's just like riding a bike…a really big and fluffy bike with a giant fire-breathing lizard chasing you down and trying to kill you! No big deal!"_

Cait's train of thought was interrupted by the roar of the dragon he was paired off with. The dragon suddenly lunged at the robotic duo and would have crushed them had Cait not managed to shout out, "Mog! Sidestep left!"

Mog followed his passenger's orders quickly and dodged the dragon's attack. Unlike Cait Sith, Mog had a very limited AI program and was generally unable to function without Cait shouting orders. Fortunately, in most cases, Cait's computer brain was quick enough to issue the orders fast enough for Mog to act. So long as Cait didn't get distracted by his own thoughts…

The dragon turned to face them again and made a distinct noise. Cait Sith quickly realized that the beast was preparing its Flamethrower attack. The cat realized what he needed to do and immediately stood up on Mog's head.

Normal humans were able to use materia by simply focusing their own spirit energy on the materia orb and calling forth the magic that way. Since Cait Sith was a machine and had no spirit energy, he had to "trick" the materia to get it to work for him. He managed that by linking the materia to a slot on top of his paw and running an electrical current through the orb. It drained Cait Sith's own power reserves, but it allowed him to use magic. Besides, he could always recharge after a battle, so as long as he didn't overdue it.

Cait did just that with the Time materia he had equipped and quickly cast a Slow spell on the dragon. Just like that, the normally swift Green Dragon became sluggish, and it was now child's play to dodge the stream of flame the dragon spewed. Cait Sith then decided to take advantage of this and shouted, "All right, Mog! Jump up and hit that dragon with a Skull-Crush!"

Mog quickly leapt into the air and descended onto the dragon as Cait Sith held on for dear life. With one axe-handle smash, Mog's steel orb-like hands shattered the dragon's skull, killing the beast instantly. As the dragon fell like a rock, Mog landed and stood still, completely incapable of appreciating what just transpired. Cait Sith, on the other hand, was exhilarated at the end result of his battle, and was jumping up and down like he had just beaten Sephiroth single-handedly.

"Oh, yeah! That's right! How do ya like that, ya big gecko!" Cait Sith shouted. He continued gloating in a sing-song tune, "I-Still-Got-It! I-Still-Got-It! I-Still-Got…"

"Hey, you damn cat! What the hell took ya so damn long?"

Cait's reverie was shattered as he looked over towards Cid. Apparently, he had not only finished off his dragon well before Cait Sith, but also had enough time to enjoy a cigarette on top of his fallen foe's corpse. As he turned to look at how Yuffie had managed, Cait was shocked to see that Yuffie had made relatively quick work of the last dragon, severing its head from the rest of its body with a toss of her shuriken. She stood with her hands on her hips, slightly amused by the cat's display of enthusiasm.

"Oh, don't give me that!" Cait Sith shouted as he ordered Mog to head towards Cid. "You know full well I can't fight as well as you two, so why can't you just let me have my moment. It's not my fault I wasn't built like the Proud Clod, so cut me some slack!"

"Why don't you shut up for one goddamned second and take a look at this?" Cid said as he jumped down and handed Cait Sith a small metal disk. Cait looked at the disk intently for a few seconds.

"Hmm, look's like Shinra tech."

"I gathered that much, Cait! I'm more interested in what that piece of shit does!"

Cait shot Cid a glare as he answered, "I can't say for sure. From what I can tell, it looks like some sort of transceiver, but I won't be able to tell ya what kind until I get this thing to Reeve. Where'd ya find it?"

Cid finished his cigarette as he replied, "Found in on that dragon's neck. Hard to spot 'cause the scales had grown over it a bit, but the light reflected off it and caught my eye."

"Think it has something to do with these dragons attacking Rocket Town?" Yuffie chirped as she leaned in to get a better look at the device.

"Has to. Green Dragon's are territorial bastards. They rarely leave Mount Nibel, and they sure as hell never travel together. Something or someone's fuckin' around with us. I feel it in my gut."

At that moment, Shera walked outside the house and noticed the carnage for the first time. Even so, Shera never lost her composure as she calmly walked over to Cid and asked, "Are you okay?"

Cid laughed. "Didn't I tell ya to stay in the house? Women, I tell ya…"

Shera ignored him as she explained, "When I heard Cait Sith's little victory shout, I figured it was safe to come out. None of you look hurt, so let's be grateful for small mercies. Tea's still hot, if you'd like a cup."

"Sounds good," Cid said as he gave Shera a small kiss on the forehead. "Listen, about my vacation…"

"No need to explain. I'll have the crew prepare the airship."

Cid smiled as he, Yuffie, and Cait Sith followed Shera back to their house. _"Damn, I love that woman," _he thought as he entered the door and inhaled the familiar scent of his favorite brand of tea.

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"That's seven! You two can pick up the slack anytime!"

"Real funny Barret," Tifa said as she planted her fist into the beak of a cockatrice, shattering it instantly and dropping the giant bird. "I thought we were fighting to protect the miners, not seeing who the best monster slayer was. Besides, I'm already at ten."

"Eight! Nine!" Barret shouted as the gun that used to be his right hand hammered rounds through monsters left and right. "Hey Spiky! How many you up to?"

Cloud was silence as he used his Braver technique on a lone bomb, slicing the elemental monster in two. "Twelve."

Barret looked shocked as he reloaded his gun-arm. "Ain't no way I'ma let either of ya beat me! Come on, you sumbitches! Get some!"

Cloud laughed a little as he continued to slash through wave after wave of monsters rushing out of the Corel Reactor. His sword, with First Tsurugi as its base and the rest of his swords forming its shape, was similar in shape to the Buster Sword Zack Fair gave him upon his death on the outskirts of Midgar. Even though the Buster Sword would always remain his sentimental favorite as it represented his friend Zack's legacy and honor, he had to admit that his new sword was superior in almost everyway, being lighter and more versatile in combat. Of course, the monsters in this area were not nearly as tough as they were when Cloud and his friends first passed through four years ago.

"_Experience will do that for you," _Cloud thought after slicing through a pair of bloatfloats. After dealing with another bomb in similar fashion, his attention turned to Tifa as she deftly eliminated a bagnadrana with a Somersault Kick. Not a second after killing the beast, she spun about and grabbed a needle kiss, spun in the air as she jumped, and drove it into the ground, ending the winged monster's life in record time.

Tifa…Cloud found himself entranced watching Tifa fight. He had seen her fight many times in the past, but something felt different this time. Back then, she was just another comrade fighting alongside him...but today, as her black skirt flitted in concert with her long brown hair, she was a valkyrie, both beautiful and dangerous at the same time.

Cloud had for the most part come to terms with his past and the guilt he felt for the lives of Zack and Aeris. However, he still had not been able to pin down exactly how he felt about his old childhood friend. As a result, he wasn't sure if he should move forward with an actual relationship with Tifa, or even if she wanted him to. It was one of those conundrums that kept him up nights, and he wasn't any closer to finding the answer…

"Cloud!" Tifa shouted, breaking Cloud musings. "Behind you!"

Cloud spun around and saw something he hadn't expected: a giant zuu swooping down, dive bombing itself directly at him. Cloud had little time to analyze the situation as the zuu flapped its wings and generated a huge gust, which blew many of the smaller monsters off the side of the mountain. In an instant, Cloud removed one of his weapon's smaller blades and rushed towards the black-winged monstrosity. The zuu lashed out at the warrior with its beak, only to be met by Cloud's offhand sword. Cloud took the opportunity to slash at the bird's exposed neck with First Tsurugi. The zuu screeched in agony as the blade sliced flesh and drew blood, forcing the monster to retreat into the skies. Cloud had anticipated that, and took advantage by first adding his extra blade to First Tsurugi and then focusing his energy into his sword, releasing it in the form of a Blade Beam. The energy blade hit the zuu in its chest, severing the lungs and heart. The zuu shrieked its last as it plummeted onto the Corel Reactor. The old Shinra construct had been left unattended for four years; as such, it was unable handle the extra weight of a giant monster and collapsed right in front of the three fighters.

Barret stood in shock as Cloud sheathed his sword and walked over to Tifa. He finally blurted out, "Yeah, well…that still only counts as one, dammit!"

Cloud nodded as he looked over Tifa. She had a few scratches, but nothing serious. Still, he asked, "Are you okay?"

Tifa nodded. "No problem. But it's weird. You never see zuus in these mountains. In fact, the only place you see them is…"

Tifa voice trailed off as Cloud finished. "Nibelheim."

"We a long ways off from Nibelheim," Barret stated. "Think birdie was just lookin' for a new nestin' ground?"

"Maybe, but…"

"Cloud!" Tifa interrupted. "Look up there! Is someone there?"

Cloud followed Tifa's gaze towards the top of the cliff that surrounded the reactor. It was hard to make it out due to the sun's glare, but it did look like there was somebody up there. Then, in an instant, the mysterious shape was gone.

"_Was it an illusion? Or was somebody really up there?" _Cloud thought as his cell phone rang. He quickly grabbed it and answered it.

After several seconds, Cloud hung up and said to his allies, "That was Reeve. He wants us to meet him at WRO Headquarters. Says he has new information for us."

"Nibelheim?" Tifa asked.

Cloud nodded. "Let's head back to camp. We've got a long trip to Fort Condor."

"Yeah, we do!" Barret spoke up. "I'll get one of my boys to handle things here, so don't think you two gonna leave me hangin' on this."

Cloud smiled. "Wouldn't dream of it. Thanks."

Barret nodded as the trio made their way back to Barret's truck and headed back to the mining camp. It was getting late, so Barret offered them lodging in their makeshift crew quarters. After getting a shower and something to eat, Cloud settled onto a cot and tried to fall asleep. But his thoughts kept him awake as one question continued to haunt his mind:

"_What's going on in Nibelheim?"_

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**Author's Notes: Another sleepless night, another chapter...Truth, I hope this is still good enough to read.**

**As always, keep the reviews coming**

**"The Exile" Cyrus Truth**


	6. Chapter 6

The normally dark basement of Shinra Manor was illuminated with candles and torches as Cyrus led his lieutenants down into the abandoned library. Once he was seated at the desk and turned on the recently-installed computer, he motioned for the first lieutenant to approach him.

"All right, Saion…let's hear your report on Rocket Town."

The man known as Saion bowed deeply before handing over a data disk. Saigon was considered the best sharpshooter in the Collective, and it was easy to see why. Everything about Saion screamed "assassin" from his nearly-emaciated body to his short-cut brown hair. What set him apart from all the others was the way his piercing red eyes stared at someone, as if he was looking through them towards some danger that had yet to reveal itself.

Cyrus inserted the data disk and played the recorded footage of the battle between his Green Dragons and the three individuals who took it upon themselves to protect the town. Of course, Cyrus already knew who these warriors were, but he still wanted an assessment of their abilities from one of his trusted comrades.

Saion cleared his throat once before delivering his report. His voice was flat and emotionless as he started:

"The older man is Cid Highwind, age 36, commander of the WRO's airship fleet. He was at one time a pilot and astronaut with the Shinra Corporation and has designed and helped build most if not all of Shinra's aircraft. As you can see, he's also an accomplished fighter, capable of leaping a great distance and using his spear to impale his enemies. In spite of his age and his addiction to cigarettes, he still has the ability and stamina to stand toe-to-toe with just about any enemy."

"_So it would seem," _Cyrus thought as he watched Cid leap several feet in the air to come crashing down on one of the dragons. His attention then shifted to the young ninja in the black tank top and khaki shorts as she kept her opponent at bay by tossing her oversized shuriken.

Saion continued, "The girl is Yuffie Kisaragi, age 20, commander of surveillance and espionage for the World Regenesis Organization. She's the only daughter of Godo Kisaragi, and as such is heir to the throne of Wutai. It's said she has an obsession with collecting materia to help Wutai regain its former glory. Even so, she has been training in ninjitsu since she was a child and, in spite of some innate awkwardness, she is a very dangerous opponent at range due to her skill with throwing weapons."

"So young, and yet so deadly…" Cyrus mused. "And I assume that the cat is Reeve's puppet?"

"Cait Sith," Saion replied with a nod. "Reeve built the Cait Sith toysaurus to act as a spy in areas where it was either too dangerous or too obvious for humans to be efficient. When paired with the moogle, Cait Sith is capable of participating in battle. His effectiveness is questionable, but…"

"…it would be unwise to dismiss the machine completely."

Saion nodded in agreement. "Cait Sith also possesses some means of using materia. We are still unsure how it accomplishes the feat."

"That's quite all right. What is important is that we know it can. Thank you, Saion…that'll be all."

"Yes, master," Saion muttered as he bowed and stepped back. Once he stopped, the next of Cyrus's officers stepped into the light and handed over another data disk.

"Ah, Alanye…how was Cosmo Canyon?" Cyrus asked as he uploaded the next disk into his computer.

"Quite dull," Alanya said with a hint of frustration in her voice. "I didn't get the chance to kill anything worth my time."

"I'm sorry to hear that, comrade," Cyrus replied as he gave a wry smile. Alanye, like all his officers, was well-versed in the art of killing. Unlike her comrades, however, Alanya took extreme pleasure in making her opponent bleed and suffer. She studied monsters and developed her own fighting style based on the more brutal species. Even now, as she stood there twirling her frazzled emerald green-dyed hair and swaying back and forth in place, Cyrus knew that the urge to slaughter and kill was rising inside her, just waiting to be satisfied.

"_Still, even that has its uses," _Cyrus thought as he said, "Tell me what you've learned about Vincent Valentine."

Alanye nodded. "I'm afraid I've learned nothing that we didn't already know. All the reports on his abilities were proven in the fight with the sahagins. He possessed incredible agility and remarkable marksmanship. I dare say he might even be as good as Saion."

Saion scoffed at that remark as Alanye continued, "I couldn't determine if the Chaos gene has been exorcised from Vincent Valentine's body, but even without the power of Chaos he remains a deadly opponent.

"But I found myself more interested in the canyon's sworn protector. He was once a Shinra research subject and was branded with a tattoo of the number thirteen. He's called 'Nanaki' by the locals, but he's also been known to answer to the moniker 'Red XIII.' Regardless of what he's called, he proves to be quite a vicious animal, more than willing to use claw and fang to tear at his opponents. It was quite exciting to watch."

Cyrus laughed a little. From the way Alanye described this "Red XIII," one would've thought that she had some sort of strange animalistic crush on the beast. Or perhaps she wanted to test her ferocity in a battle with it. Either way, it didn't matter to Cyrus. "I see. Very good work, Alanye."

Alanye stumbled back in line with Saion as the last of his lieutenants stepped forward and produced her data disk. Cyrus uploaded the footage from that final disk as he said, "Rei? Your report, please."

Rei, a refuge from Wutai, stood like a statue with her arm crossed behind her. Her long black hair was done up in a ponytail and draped over her left shoulder. Every muscle in her well-toned body twitched in atypical nervousness as she started to give her report.

"The large, dark skinned man is Barret Wallace. He was at one time the leader of AVALANCHE and is now the head foreman for the Corel Mining Co-Op. His right arm was damaged during a Shinra attack and was later replaced with a multi-purpose gun-arm designed by Shalua Rui. He later replaced that original with a more versatile and power variation. As you no doubt can see, the machine gun component of his right arm is capable of firing a large quantity of heavy rounds in very little time. In short, Barret Wallace is a walking, one-man firing squad.

"The woman in black is Tifa Lockhart. She learned martial arts from world-renowned master Zangan at a young age. Since then, she has added to her capabilities by studying various texts and from constant training. Every part of Tifa Lockhart's body can be used as a weapon, as her fight with the local Corel wildlife shows. She is not to be taken lightly."

"I'm sure," Cyrus calmly commented. "And what about Cloud Strife?"

Rei swallowed loudly as she continued, "Cloud Strife, former Shinra infantryman. He was a part of the Jenova Project and was genetically altered as a result. The experiments in concert with the Jenova cells granted him increased strength and fighting ability on par with a First-Class SOLDIER. Against normal monsters, he is nigh untouchable…and ever since he defeated Sephiroth and his Remnants, there are none in the world that can match his swordsmanship or his raw strength."

"_Perhaps," _Cyrus thought, _"but there is more than one way to fight an opponent of superior skill." _He then noticed that the blonde-haired swordsman looked directly at him with his glowing Mako eyes.

"So this is why you're so nervous," Cyrus stated as he stood up and grabbed his cane. "They saw you."

Rei nodded and bowed her head in shame. "My back was to the sunset, so I do not believe they were able to get a good look at me. I apologize for my carelessness."

Cyrus walked up to Rei and placed his hand on her shoulder. She was still shaking in fear. "I know you are sorry for failing to remain hidden. And it's true; they were probably unable to see you very clearly and you did manage to get me the information I requested."

He then leaned his face close to her left ear and whispered, "However, this doesn't change the fact that you failed me. As such, you must pay the price of disobedience. I'm truly sorry, but it must be done. Do try to be brave. Oh, and try your best not to scream…comrade."

Cyrus then looked towards the corridor leading back into the basement. "Her left ear. Take only the lobe."

Without making a sound, Nimuria materialized from the shadows like a phantom, her dagger already drawn. She acknowledged the order with a nod as Cyrus walked by her and the rest of his lieutenants on his way back to the basement and the stairway back to the manor. Before he reached the spiral staircase, he briefly heard the anguished cry of Rei as she received her punishment.

"_At least she didn't scream," _Cyrus thought with a smile as he ascended the staircase.

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As he walked outside the second-floor balcony of Shinra Manor, Cyrus was greeted with the shouts of the entire Collective. The night was devoid of both stars and moon, but the crowd was still illuminated by the light of four dozen torches. The flames gave the crowd the appearance of a congregation of demons, and their shouting sounded like a thousand different languages being spoken at once. Cyrus smiled and raised his hands to silence the crowd. He pointed his cane outward as he started to pontificate:

"My comrades, the time is drawing near! Soon, we will have the means to complete our penance to the Planet and receive our absolution. With your help and the wisdom of the Cetra, we will force humanity to answer for its sins and wash away that which causes this Planet pain!"

The crowd cheered loudly at that as Cyrus continued, "But alas, there are those that would stand in the way of our holy mission…individuals who would see that the Planet not receive the healing it needs and profit from its suffering. These heathens, these traitors to the Planet will undoubtedly come in force and try to silence us with machines and war. I must ask each and every single one of you: are you willing to fight against these hypocrites?"

"Yes!" the crowd shouted in response.

"Are you prepared to kill and maim so that our noble task may be completed?"

"Yes!"

"And are you willing to sacrifice yourself so that our Collective may achieve the Planet's forgiveness and usher in the new utopia?!"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"

The crowd continued chanting as Cyrus finished, "Your sacrifices and valor will not be forgotten…not by me or the Planet. I thank you."

The crowd cheered and waved torches as Cyrus retreated into the manor. Atlas walked up to him and stated, "Sir, our comrades have finished prepping the vessel for launch tomorrow. It's ready for you to use first thing in the morning."

"Excellent work, Atlas. I make for Edge tomorrow. Once I complete my tasks there, I go north to find the key."

Atlas's eyes went wide. "So, then…"

"I found the guide...our roadmap to the Cetra's knowledge," Cyrus confirmed as he pulled a tattered notebook from the insides of his coat. "This will show me the way and grant me the power we seek. I trust you and Nimuria can handle things here?"

Atlas nodded. "We will be ready. Have no fear…and may the wisdom of the Cetra give you strength, my master."

"Thank you, my friend," Cyrus replied as he headed for one of the manor's bedrooms to rest for the night. As he walked, his thoughts were aflutter as he contemplated how close he and his Collective were to completing their divine work. As he found a bed and settled in for the night, he couldn't help but laugh at how simple the traitors were making this.

"_Just a little longer…" _Cyrus thought as he drifted off to sleep.

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**Author's Notes**

**I'm BACK! Took the 4th of July weekend off and had a great time catching up with the family. Hope everyone had a good weekend, regardless of where you live.**

**Also, I want to send a special shout-out to Kairi-loves-Sushi. Thank you very much for your reviews, and I'm very glad you're enjoying the story so far.**

**I also want to thank always-kh for recently adding my story to their favorites. Glad to have you aboard for the ride!**

**Anyhow, you know the drill by now: Review if you like, review if you hate. Well-written reviews earns you a digital cookie.**

**Later,**

**"The Exile" Cyrus Truth**


	7. Chapter 7

"Cloud, Tifa, Barret! It's good to see you again. Thanks for making the trip!"

Cloud and his party took four days to get from Corel to the WRO Headquarters, formerly known as Fort Condor. Four years ago, the outpost was a haven for a rare species of condor, which was being threatened by Shinra. Back then, it resembled a molehill more than a fortress.

That all changed when the WRO moved in. Reeve and his organization completely renovated the outpost with state-of-the-art computer systems, defenses, and various other amenities to make what was once called a fort off-hand into the real thing. WRO headquarters was a hard nut to crack for any opposing force…and yet, a year ago, Deepground had managed to do just that.

Not once, but twice.

As a result, the WRO made a concerted effort to doubly reinforce their home. And although they hadn't had any sort of attack since the Deepground incident, the contractors had all but assured Reeve that nothing short of Ultimate Weapon itself would be able to penetrate the WRO Headquarters' defenses.

Still, Reeve admitted to himself that it was good that Cloud and his friends were here to help him handle this new situation in Nibelheim. As he pointed out all the new additions to WRO Headquarters to Cloud, Tifa, and Barret as they made their way inside to the debriefing room, Reeve had a feeling that he was going to need all the help he could get.

"Please, have a seat," Reeve said as he motioned for the trio to enter the debriefing room. Cloud entered first and was surprised to see who was already waiting for them.

"Vincent? Red? What are you doing here," Cloud asked as he found his seat.

"We had some trouble with sahagins back at Cosmo Canyon," Red explained, "and we have reason to suspect it has something to do with that group from Nibelheim."

"What makes ya say that?" Barret said with skepticism.

"This," Vincent said as he took something out of the recesses of his cloak and tossed it across the table to Cloud. Cloud quickly scooped it up and examined it. "What is this?"

"A transceiver of Shinra make," said a quiet, monotone voice that emerged from behind Vincent. It belonged to Shelke Rui, formerly Shelke the Transparent of Deepground. A year ago, Shelke had been a member of Deepground's elite caste called the Tsviets. After coming in contact with her sister Shalua and being ousted from Deepground, Shelke decided to help the WRO and Vincent in the Battle of Midgar. Since then, she worked with the WRO by scouring the Worldwide Network for any information that might aid the organization's efforts of Planet restoration and protection via her Synaptic Net Dive ability.

Her time in Deepground did leave her with some scars; even though she was twenty years old, she had the appearance and voice of a girl much younger. She had managed to open up more in the year since Deepground and Omega's defeat, but for the most part Shelke was still the same reserved, off-putting individual she was when she was first introduced to the WRO.

Still, no one can deny her intelligence and abilities when it came to computers, online systems, and technology. So when she spoke, people listened.

"A transceiver? What the hell does it do?"

Everyone was surprised to hear Cid's voice coming through the speakers installed on the meeting table. Reeve laughed as he explained, "Cid and Yuffie are en route in the _Shera, _and rather than waiting for them to come here, I figured it would be faster and easier to teleconference via Cait Sith. Sorry, I probably should've mentioned that earlier. Shelke, if you would?"

"Very well. Anyway, in the years after Sephiroth's assault on Nibelheim and subsequent death, Shinra was in a race to design a new type of army. While Hojo continued his research into Jenova cells and Project S, Head of Weapons Development Scarlet worked on developing a means to control monsters. The result was a special disk-shaped transceiver that, when implanted on the base of a monster's neck, could give the monster subliminal commands and have them act as shock troopers on the front lines."

"Shinra actually developed something like that?" Tifa asked, somewhat shocked by this revelation.

Shelke nodded, "Yes. However, the effects of this device were all theoretical. The cost associated with developing this technology compiled with any unforeseen major conflicts led to this project being abandoned. This group must have found Shinra's secret research and development department and took the technology inside for their own purposes."

"Any idea how many of these control disks Shinra produced?" Vincent inquired

"I'm afraid that, without Shinra's top-secret inventory manifests, there's no telling how many were manufactured. I can only surmise that it was not much more than two to four dozen due to the costs. However, I did managed to gain access to Shinra's encrypted databanks and find out some information on one Cyrus Thresher."

"Can you put that information on the viewer?" Reeve asked.

Shelke nodded as she used the remote control in her hand to turn on the monitor and bring up the relevant information. "Cyrus Thresher, age 30, former cryptologist employed by the Shinra Corporation…"

"Cryptologist?" Barret interjected. "That some kinda grave robber?"

"No, Mr. Wallace," Shelke answered. "Cryptology is the study of ancient languages and the attempt to decipher them."

"Barret, I appreciate your curiosity, but please, save your questions until Shelke has finished her briefing," Reeve politely ordered. "Go ahead, Shelke."

"Very well, Mr. Tuesti," Shelke acknowledged. "Immediately following the Nibelheim Incident, Shinra decided to invest money in deciphering the language of the Ancients. Cyrus Thresher had become renowned for his work in cryptology and was contracted to work on uncovering the Ancients' secrets."

"Cyrus spent three years working out of Bone Village and the Forgotten City, working by himself to translate the Ancient runes. Despite his insistence on working solo, he was kept under constant surveillance by the Turks. They noted that Cyrus worked long hours and refused to eat or sleep until it was completely necessary. Eventually, Cyrus managed to decipher his first symbol, which led to the complete translation of the Ancient calligraphy."

No one said a word, but they were all thinking the same thing. They all thought that the writings of the Ancients were undecipherable and would forever remain a mystery. Even Chief Elder Bugenhagen of Cosmo Canyon was unable to translate the strange symbols before his death, and he was considered to be the foremost expert on the Ancients and the study of Planet Life.

Shelke ignored the confused looks on her audience's faces as she continued, "Once he managed to create a working codex, he began translating some of the Ancient manuscripts. He then learned about the Planet, the Lifestream…and what Shinra was actually accomplishing with their Mako reactors.

"Cyrus presented his findings to the Shinra Board of Directors. He urged them to halt the processing and usage of Mako energy to prevent any further harm to the Planet. The president of Shinra at the time dismissed his findings and summarily fired him for not finding the fabled Promised Land. Furious, Cyrus threatened President Shinra with exposing his findings to the press and ruining the Shinra Corporation.

"Needless to say, Shinra did not take Cyrus's threat lightly. Two days after his meeting with the Board of Directors, the order was given to the Turks to eliminate Cyrus Thresher…"

"Apparently, they didn't get the job done," Tifa retorted.

Cloud shook his head. "It's not that. The Turks don't fail unless there's a really good reason. Maybe they thought they got rid of Cyrus, or maybe he faked his own demise. Either way, I don't think it matters."

"Right," Reeve agreed. "What matters is finding out this group's motives and intentions. Everything about this group is strange…at least, that's the feeling I got after I met Cyrus Thresher."

"Say what?" Cid shouted. "You actually met that bastard?"

"Well, I was the one who told Yuffie about the strange people in Nibelheim, so I wanted to meet them face-to-face and see what was going on. He seemed normal enough, but something about him rubbed me the wrong way. Then there's the matter concerning Jenova Manuscripts…"

"What about them?" Cloud asked

Shelke answered, "About a day ago, we received all copies of the Jenova manuscripts via special delivery. Attached was a handwritten note from Cyrus Thresher. To summarize, Cyrus claimed that he and his followers stumbled across them while investigating Shinra Manor. He went on to say that he had no need for them and wanted to make sure they were handled by the proper authorities. We have them in our depository awaiting categorization."

"Man, this is getting weirder and weirder by the second," Yuffie piped up. "If he's not after Shinra's secrets, then why bother…"

"Director!" a WRO officer shouted. "We're receiving a news feed from Edge. It's Cyrus Thresher!"

"What? What the hell's he doing in Edge?" Reeve demanded. "Lieutenant, put that news feed on the monitor. I want to know what his game is!"

The information that Shelke had uncovered about Cyrus Thresher was quickly replaced by a video feed from the Meteorfall Memorial. Everyone sitting there, especially Cloud Strife, sat silently as they waited for Cyrus to make his intentions known.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Cyrus stood in the center of the plaza with his back against the memorial. Flanking him on either side were members of his Collective, armed with crowd-control batons and shields. Surrounding them were hundreds of Edge's citizens, who wondered who these strange people were and what they were hoping to accomplish.

Cyrus smiled as he held on tightly to his cane at his right side. He raised his left to silence the crowds as he started to speak:

"Citizens of Edge, fellow members of humanity, I thank you for gathering here to listen to my message. My name is Cyrus Thresher and we…" Cyrus paused to point to his comrades with one swipe of his hand, "…are the Repentant.

"We formed our Collective for one reason: to aid a suffering Planet and atone for the sins of humanity."

That statement garnered a series of whispers and confused looks from the crowd. Cyrus smiled. "I see you are unaware of the sins committed by you and your ancestors. Allow me to enlighten you.

"Millennia ago, the Cetra roamed the Planet as caretakers of the Lifestream. Throughout the centuries, the Cetra would wander across the world, cultivating life and speaking to the Planet, learning all of its secrets in the process. The Cetra and the Planet co-existed in perfect harmony, and the world was a perfect utopia.

"However, some Cetra were unhappy with being essentially nomads. They rejected the gifts of the Planet and chose comfort and convenience over knowledge and wisdom. They settled down and built homes and villages, and forgot their heritage. Those traitors to the legacy of the Cetra…those were our forefathers."

Another series of gasps and confused looks emerged from the crowd as Cyrus pointed his cane upward and continued, "2000 years ago, a calamity fell from the skies. This dark harbinger, this disease from the stars began to infect the Cetra and transform them into terrible monsters that fell under its thrall. The remaining Cetra combined their powers together to force the creature into a dormant state, but they paid the ultimate price.

"The Cetra became a dying race. And where, you may ask, were the humans during this battle for the Planet's survival?

Cyrus lowered his cane. He paused before he answered his own question in a bitter tone, "They didn't fight…instead, they hid. They avoided the conflict altogether and let the Cetra die! As if that wasn't a grand enough atrocity in and of itself, the sacrifice of the Cetra was buried and forgotten! I ask you, can you answer for these sins? What reason or excuse do you have to offer?"

The crowd argued amongst itself before one man finally spoke up. "Hold on a second! How do we know any of this is true? Even if it is, you can't hold us responsible for something that happened 2000 years ago?"

"Oh?" Cyrus retorted quizzically. "And, precisely why not? 'The sins of the father are visited on the son' after all. Besides, what makes you think you are not blameless in the Planet's pain?"

"What are you talking about?" The outspoken crowd member demanded.

"The Shinra Corporation eventually found that calamity from the skies and gave it the name 'Jenova.' Their scientists mistook it for a survivor of the Cetra and used its cells in their research, attempting to build the ultimate soldier. All the while, they discovered a way to convert the Lifestream into an energy source. They call it 'Mako' and built reactors all across this world, and while they lined their pockets with gold they continued to choke the life out of the Planet. And you…you apathetic fools let them do that!"

That statement drove the crowd into a smoldering fury. Cyrus smiled and continued, "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I say something untrue? Let me ask you, when the flora and fauna began to wither and decay around the city of Midgar, did any of you stop and question it? Did you not find it strange that the earth became barren with the operation of Midgar's eight reactors?"

The crowd's anger soon turned to one of hidden embarrassment as Cyrus answered, "No, of course you didn't. Why bother to care about the Planet? You were all living relatively comfortably thanks to Shinra and their Mako reactors. If you were happy, what else mattered?

"Shinra may have committed the sin of using spirit energy as fuel for the furnace, but you are just as culpable. Apathy is death…no, worse than that, because in death you at least serve a purpose and provide the Lifestream with spirit energy and aid the Planet in that way. All of humanity has sinned against the Planet, and there is not a single one of you that can deny it."

The crowd became very quiet as they contemplated what this man was telling them. Were they really to blame for what had been done to the Planet? And if so, what could they do to apologize?

As if reading their minds, Cyrus continued his speech. "But rest assured, it is not too late to seek atonement. We Repentant have dedicated ourselves to finding a means of penance and helping ease the Planet's pain. Thanks to the efforts of all the Repentant, we have unlocked the long-forgotten secrets of the Cetra and have uncovered the key to our deliverance and the Planet's salvation. I aim to collect that key and bring about a brand new age, a new utopia where we will once again hear the voice of the Planet and receive its blessings once more.

"And I urge all of you to join our Collective at the village of Nibelheim and bear witness to our holy work. Please, consider this invitation as your one chance to atone for not only your transgressions, but those of your ancestors and mine. We are now at the crossroads of our Planet's past and future. And I for one will walk the path of enlightenment and atonement. I wonder...who among you will walk beside me?

"Thank you for your time today, and I hope you will make the right decision."

As Cyrus walked down from the Meteorfall Monument, the crowd split in two to let him and the Repentant pass by. Cyrus noticed the looks of concern and intrigue on the townspeople's faces as he walked among them. He then noticed the news crew and camera that was following his every move.

"_Wonder what Cloud and his followers thought of my speech," _Cyrus thought with a snicker as he cleared the crowds and headed down an alley.

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**Author's Notes:**

**Special welcome to Command76, the latest person to favorite my story. Thanks a lot!**

**Had a little trouble writing this chapter, but in the end I'm pretty happy with how in came out (especially Cyrus's speech). Let me know how you all liked it and if you have any writing suggestions (not storyline suggestions, because what kind of fanfic writer would I be if I wrote someone else's story?)**

**Reviews are just like smiles: they take a little effort, but when you make one it makes everyone feel better (OK, that was cheesy).**

**Later,**

**"The Exile" Cyrus Truth**


	8. Chapter 8

Night was fast approaching the city of Edge as Cyrus and the Repentant finally made their way to the village's exit. Cyrus took a moment to enjoy the night air as he twirled his cane slowly in his right hand. He was in a very good mood, and why shouldn't he be? Not only was he close to completing the Repentant's task, he had also helped bolster the ranks of the Collective with new followers as well.

Cyrus's reverie was shattered as a voice called out, "So, the Ancient wordsmith finally crawls out of his hole."

Cyrus turned to see who had spoken. There, standing in the gateway between the Repentant and the outside world, was a man in a white suit. His perfectly-styled blonde hair, his smarmy attitude, and the carefully crafted shotgun he carried in his right hand all would have seemed odd if Cyrus did not know who this man was.

But he knew…oh yes. Cyrus not only knew the man, he also knew who this man's escorts were. Dressed in the same black suits that their organization made standard years ago, still carrying that air of arrogance. Four such figures stood behind the man in white, two on either side of them. Cyrus lowered his gaze and gave the man in white a mock bow, and replied with a smirk:

"Rufus Shinra…and your Turk bodyguards. It's such an honor to meet you…again."

Rufus chuckled. The last president of the Shinra Electric Power Company may not have had the resources and manpower he had four years ago, but he never lost his confidence or his swagger. And as long as he had the Turks on the payroll, that wasn't about to change any time soon.

"Cyrus Thresher. For a corpse, you look rather lively."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Mr. President. At any rate, I really have no time to speak with you. I have a meeting that I really need to get to."

"And what makes you think we're going to let you leave?" Rufus asked as he raised his shotgun and aimed it at Cyrus's head. The Repentant tensed up at the sight of their leader being threatened, but Cyrus called them off with a wave of his hand.

"Really? And what, pray tell, gives you the right to take my life? Have I done anything wrong…or is Shinra looking to silence me once again?" Cyrus calmly inquired.

Rufus smirked. "You could say that my associates and I are now in the private military business. We were contracted to keep an eye on you and put an end to whatever plan you were concocting. Plus, the Turks hate to leave behind loose ends, and by our estimation you're one of the bigger ones that needs to be wrapped up."

"Oh, so it's about a pay check and professionalism. And here I was thinking it was something petty like pride," Cyrus retorted as he slowly walked up to Rufus. He stopped right in front of Rufus's shotgun and stared down the gunman. Cyrus had a wild look in his eyes as he turned his attention from Rufus towards the Turk that stood to his right.

"Tseng. It's been what…six years, seven? How have you been since the night you nearly killed me?"

Tseng, leader of the Turks, stood like a statue as his boss threatened Cyrus with his shotgun. To Cyrus, he didn't look any different from the last time he saw him…same suit, same black hair in a ponytail, same cold demeanor brought on by a blind sense of duty.

"I've been better. But I'm not here to rehash the past. I'm here because the President asked me to be here."

"How very nice of you," Cyrus replied facetiously. "Unfortunately for you, I rather enjoy talking about the past. So much can be learned from history. But, perhaps you do have a point in that now might not be the best time to talk about how you and your henchmen shot me five times and left me for dead in a alley off Wall Market…"

"It was a job. The company saw you as a threat, and the Turks were called in to neutralize the threat. Don't take it so personally."

"Oh, is that it? 'Just a job?' Hmm, and I suppose it was 'just a job' to keep a watchful eye on the last surviving Cetra for all those years while failing to bring her before the Board of Directors. And I suppose it was 'just a job' to disobey direct orders and try to protect that SOLDIER Zack Fair from your own employers. Oh, yes, Tseng…I know all about that. I've had a lot of time to rifle through Shinra's dirty laundry and I've learned quite a bit."

Tseng didn't respond; instead, he simply stood by as Cyrus continued, "At any rate, since it seems that Mr. Shinra insists on silencing me for no apparent reason, perhaps I might be able to end your miserable life before he ends mine? You know, as a sort of karmic check and balance?"

"Make one move and I'll drill you right between your bifocals," a young blonde-haired woman threatened as she drew her pistol and aimed it at Cyrus's head.

"Elena! Drop that weapon this instant!" Tseng ordered.

"Elena?" Cyrus said with a coo. "Aw, the little Turk wants to protect her boss from the big scary man with no weapon of his own. Touching.

"Little girl, do as Tseng says. I have no intention of spilling blood here tonight. The only question is…" Cyrus said as he turned to face Rufus and his shotgun, "…what are you going to do? Are you going to murder me? Or will you let that infamous Shinra curiosity of yours guide your hand and allow me to complete my work?"

For what seemed like an eternity, Rufus stood there with his weapon pointed at the leader of the Repentant, who for reasons unknown never stopped smiling. Finally, Rufus started to laugh quietly as he lowered his shotgun and stepped aside.

"You're right," Rufus admitted. "We have no reason to kill you…yet. And I must admit that I'm curious to see where this madness of yours leads to. But make no mistake, sooner or later someone will come to collect your head. If not me or my people, then…"

"Spare me the threats, Shinra. My path is clear. My task will soon be completed, my penance served. And there's not a damn thing you, your Turks, the WRO, or those ex-terrorist friends of yours can do to stop me or my fellow Repentant. Now if you'll excuse me, I grow tired of looking at the face of the Planet's suffering. Until next we meet…"

Cyrus motioned to his followers as he led them outside the city. Once they were out of earshot, Rufus turned to the red-headed Turk in the unkempt suit and his dark-skinned partner. "Reno, Rude! Get the chopper ready. We're following Cyrus wherever he's planning on going. We'll get the evidence we need and put a stop to this son of a bitch's schemes. After all, we have an obligation to the Director of the WRO, and it would be bad PR if we didn't follow through."

"You got it, Mr. President," Reno said in his usual cocky way. "Partner, looks like we're working overtime tonight."

Rude nodded in agreement as he and Reno rushed over to the nearest helipad. As they disappeared into the shadows, Rufus took the opportunity to ask Tseng about Cyrus Thresher and what kind of man he is.

Tseng's answer was brief and to the point. "He's brilliant, he's driven…and he's quite insane. Do not underestimate him, sir."

Rufus nodded as Tseng turned to Elena to admonish her for her actions. As he did, Rufus took the time to assess how far he had come in the last four years. From leader of the world's largest and most powerful company, to a survivor of Geostigma, to being simply another gun for hire.

Still, just like he did when he was the Shinra Corporation's President, Rufus had a job to do, and he would complete it…just like he always did.

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After listening to Cyrus's speech, the debriefing room of the WRO Headquarters was unusually quiet. All who were present either in person or via teleconference were all digesting what this man, this so-called "Repentant" had preached to the people of Edge. Finally, after a couple minutes of crushing silence, Reeve finally spoke up:

"All right…whatever Cyrus said, whatever he tried to convince those people of is not important right now. We have to figure out what his next move is before it's too late."

"Well, I ain't sure what his next move is, but I gotta hunch where that crazy bastard's heading," Cid offered.

"Where?" Cloud asked.

"Are you really that fucking stupid, chocobo-brain? He's an expert in Ancient writing, he says he wants to help the Planet and he's planning on using Ancient knowledge to do it. Where in the world could that jackass get free and excessive access to Ancient writing and knowledge?"

Cloud finally understood what Cid was implying. "The City of the Ancients…the Forgotten Capital."

"Yep. I'd wager my left nut that that manipulative fuck-off is heading there right now. If he's going by boat, it'll take him about two days to get there."

Cloud immediately sat up and headed for the door. Tifa shouted, "Cloud! Where do you think you're going? This isn't just your fight, you know!"

"I'm afraid this isn't anyone's fight," Reeve chimed in.

"Huh?" Tifa asked, confused. "What do you mean?"

Reeve sighed. "Our airships and helicopters need a full day of prepping before we can use them. Even then, it'll take at least four days via air to reach the Forgotten City…even longer if we decide to go by land and sea. By then, Cyrus and the Repentant may have already found what they are looking for, and where would that leave us?"

"Dammit!" Barret yelled as he slammed his metal fist into the table, denting it. "So we just wait here with our thumbs up our asses?!"

"Yeah, you do…but we don't." Cid stated.

"Huh?" Whatchu' talkin' bout, Cid?"

"The _Shera_'s currently about two days away from the Northern Continent. I doubt we'd be able to beat those sons of bitches there, but we'd probably get there fast enough to figure how what the Repentant are up to."

"Cid," Reeve spoke up, "you do understand the risks, right? If you take the _Shera _to the Forgotten City, there's little to no chance the WRO would be able to lend you support. Essentially, you'd be on your own. There's a good chance you'd be walking right into a monster's den, so to speak."

"Yeah, I know. But we don't really got much of a choice, do we? Either me, the brat, and that toy of yours play spy, or we all get left in the dark long enough for that asshole to stab us in the back. I'll take my chances."

"Thank you, Cid. Good luck…Reeve, out."

After shutting off communications to the _Shera_, Reeve continued, "Cloud? I'd like you and your friends to remain here on standby. I'll have our people prep the airships in case we need them and put the base on high alert. Once Cid finds out what the Repentant are planning, I want us all to be ready."

Cloud grumbled. He didn't like waiting, but he really didn't have a choice. He could only be patient until Cid and Yuffie uncovered the Repentant's plans. "…Fine. You get your people ready, and we'll keep ourselves sharp."

"Thank you, Cloud. Lieutenant, show Cloud and the others to the guest quarters. And make sure they know how to contact the quartermaster."

The WRO officer acknowledged the order and motioned for the ex-AVALANCHE members to follow him. Once they left, Reeve turned to Shelke and bluntly asked, "Is it right of us to ask them to help us handle our problems like this? We don't even know for sure if there's any imminent danger."

"I don't know," Shelke admitted. "It does seem somewhat unfair to expect them to come running to the rescue every time the Planet faces certain doom. But if not them, who else could handle the burden of saving the world?"

Despite his concern, Reeve smiled. "Direct as always, Shelke. Thank you for all your hard work. Can you put the base on battle-ready alert?"

"Very well," Shelke said flatly as she turned around to complete the task Reeve had given her. Reeve, for his part, made his way to his office and sat down behind his desk. He turned on his computer and called up the video from Cyrus Thresher's speech at the Meteorfall Monument.

"_Cyrus…what is your goal? What do you hope to accomplish?" _Reeve asked himself as he played the video and watched Cyrus's sermon again from the very beginning.

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**Author's Notes:**

**Thanks to forevermare for favoriting my story and leaving a review. You, my friend, have earned your digital cookie!**

**Not really sure how I feel about this chapter. I mean, I needed it as a way to reintroduce Rufus and the Turks as well as serve as a bridge from Chapter 7 and 9, but...I don't know. I don't think it's my best work. What do you all think? Let me know by dropping a review.**

**Anyway, stay tuned for Chapter 9. I should have it uploaded by the end of the week.**

**Thanks again for making me feel talented,**

**"The Exile" Cyrus Truth**


	9. Chapter 9

"Thank you, Cid. Good luck…Reeve out."

Cait Sith closed communications with his master as Cid stood at the steering wheel of his prized airship, named for his wife. Cid had lit up another cigarette before shouting to his crew:

"All right, numbskulls! You heard Reeve. We're heading for the Northern Continent to play hide and seek with the Repentant. Give me a heading and crank the engines up. I don't want to miss that asshole Cyrus just because we were dragging ass. Got it?!"

"Aye, aye Captain!" The crew responded in unison as they went about completing Cid's orders. Yuffie, who up until now was quietly standing still to prevent a motion-sickness attack, walked up to Cid with a look of concern.

"Um, Cid? You sure about this? Not that I'm worried about spying or anything like that…I mean, I AM the commander of the WRO's intelligence and espionage division after all…but this sound really risky. What if there's a whole army of those Repentant creeps?"

"What? You scared?" Cid said with a sneer. "If that's the case, maybe I oughta drop your scrawny ass off before we get to the Forgotten City. Besides, this is a man's job, anyway…"

That comment got a rise out of Yuffie. "You...you…YOU SEXIST PIG! To hell with you, I'm coming along whether you like it or not! You don't even know the first thing about being a spy, and you'd probably be stupid enough to get yourself caught when you were smoking one of those death sticks you're so fond of! So SCREW YOU, prick!"

Yuffie stormed off the _Shera's _bridge to one of the airship's cabins, as Cid stood at his wheel and laughed. His comment had served a purpose other than just to entertain himself…Cid wanted Yuffie to get over whatever worries she had about this operation before landing. Although he wouldn't admit this out-loud, but the brat had a good point: Cid wasn't cut out for spying and surveillance, and Yuffie was. If this was going to work, he needed Yuffie to be at her best, even if that took getting her pissed off at him to do so.

"Wow…Yuffie's really pumped up, isn't she?" Cait Sith commented. Apparently, even the robot was able to figure out Cid's ulterior motives behind his insult.

"_Damn cat's more perceptive than I thought," _Cid thought as he replied, "Yeah, well, if being pissed at me means she'll do her job as best she can, I don't mind being the bad guy. So, I guess this means I'm stuck with you as well, ain't I?"

"Now, now, don't say it like that!" Cait Sith pleaded. "I'm not much of a fighter, that's for true. But I do know a thing or two about spying! Besides, I'm small and hard to spot in shadows. I know I can help ya out!"

"Yeah, you do know something about spying, that's for damn sure. But don't forget about that overstuffed piece of shit you're riding on. You might blend into the scenery, but that thing stands out like a fucking sore thumb."

"Hey! Mog can't help how he was built, so don't be so mean to him! Besides, I'm been teaching him how to not be seen. Mog? Show 'em!"

The moogle nodded as it raised its hands and put them over his eyes. "See?" Cait Sith remarked. "He's getting better all the time!"

Cid shook his head and was about to let loose with one of his famous profanity-laden rants. In the end, he held himself back for one reason: no matter how careful they were, there was always a chance that the Repentant would find them and force them into a fight. If that was the case, he'd need the extra muscle Cait Sith's preferred mode of transportation provided…and he was willing to risk sticking out some more in the scenery for that backup.

"Tch, whatever. Look, if you plan on bringing that fat-ass along, just make sure he keeps himself hidden a helluva lot better than that. Got it?"

"Yessir!" Cait Sith shouted with a salute that his moogle mimicked. Cid sighed as he turned his attention towards steering his airship. He looked out the view port towards the northern sky, and suddenly he had a strange feeling…a chill that ran down his spine.

This wasn't the first time he felt it…no, he felt it back then too. Sephiroth…

Cid shook his head and cleared his mind of such thoughts. He was Captain Cid Highwind, damn it. He wasn't about to get spooked by some creep and his screwball followers. Whatever that bastard was planning, Cid was going to find out. And when he did, he was going to do what he does best…shove his boot straight up Cyrus's Repentant ass.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The moon reflected off the ocean in spectacular brilliance. The near-mirror image of the heavenly body was only interrupted by the waves off the portside of the lone boat heading towards the Northern Continent. On board, Repentant troopers stood guard as their prophet left the cabin of the freighter and walked toward the bow of the vessel, cane in one hand and a violin in the other. Once he reached the very tip of the boat, he sat his cane down and took the violin's bow in his free hand.

Once he was set up, he began to play. Gliding the bow across the violin's strings, he started playing a song long forgotten by humanity…a Cetra song. It was one of the first things Cyrus translated at the Forgotten City all those years ago, and he had long committed it to memory.

As he continued playing the violin, a sad and somber melody permeated through the night. The song would have tugged at someone's heartstrings if they hadn't heard it before. As it was, the Repentant had heard that song before many times in the past, so they remained as stoic as they always were as they listened to their master's performance. No words were sung, but the music itself spoke of one Cetra's pain and anguishes after the battle with the harbinger from the skies (Cyrus refused to give the creature a name, much less call it by Shinra's moniker) and the indifference of humanity towards his plight.

The melody then started to pick up, as Cyrus started playing faster and faster. This part of the song spoke of hope for a brighter future and the promise of the Planet to deliver the Cetra from his doom and his people from extinction. Cyrus poured all his passion into the last verse as the bow began to splinter and fray from the furious pace. Finally, the song was completed, and Cyrus exhaled and panted as if he had swum all the way to the City of the Ancients. He paused to look at his bow. The string was tattered and would not survive another violin session.

"I'll need a new bowstring," Cyrus said aloud as he turned to face the Repentant that had taken it upon himself to be his bodyguard. "Are we on schedule, comrade?"

"Yes, master," the Repentant replied. "We should be approaching the Bone Village by late morning. The engines are operating at peak capacity and our comrades are working hard to maintain our speed."

"I appreciate both you and our comrades' continued vigilance. The Planet will be saved not by my words, but by your hands and your work. Never forget that without you and the Collective, we would never have been able to get this far. I thank you."

"The honor is ours, Master Cyrus. Our only desire is to see you unlock the wisdom of the Cetra and bring about the new utopia…a true Promised Land."

Cyrus smiled. This comrade spoke with determination and passion. He would make an excellent sergeant for the battles to come. "My friend, your words resonate in my soul. I would ask that you help lead your brethren in our upcoming struggle. Would you lend me your strength?"

"Sir!" the Repentant said as he took a knee in reverence. "If it will help our Collective complete our holy work, I will do as you ask."

"Thank you," Cyrus said with a bow. He then left his new Repentant sergeant alone to his thoughts as he made his way for his cabin and his notebook. He smiled at the dedication this one Repentant had shown him, the kind of dedication that told Cyrus that this man would thrust himself at the gates of Hades if his master commanded him to. And if things happened as Cyrus thought they might, hell would indeed come to him and the Repentant.

But none of that mattered. It didn't matter what hell the traitors brought upon his doorstep. Cyrus would find the key to his redemption and the Planet's salvation and bring forth the new utopia. No man, no force of nature would stop the Repentant. It was only a matter of time.

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**Author's Notes:**

**I'm feeling more and more popular with each passing day! Special welcome to Writer Chica, who put my story on alert. Thanks!**

**This chapter ended up much better than the last one in my opinion. It just seems better written. I know it was a bit short and mostly filler, but trust me...it will be picking up really soon.**

**Also, I've been interviewing for several jobs in my area. I lost my last job last month (Sucksville)but I feel good about my chances. Wish me luck!**

**The thing that separates us from the animals? Opposable thumbs. Celebrate your evolutionary superiority by writing me a review!**

**Thanks,**

**"The Exile" Cyrus Truth**


	10. Chapter 10

"_I hate this place," _Yuffie thought as she motioned for Cid and Cait Sith to follow her through the brush.

It had been a couple of days since Cid went all sexist and pissed her off, and Yuffie Kisaragi was determined to get Cid to change his tune once this little espionage mission was complete. After all, SHE was the stealth expert, not him! So, once they parked the _Shera _in a clearing in one of the nearby forests, Yuffie immediately took charge and led the pilot and toysaurus through the thicket towards the City of the Ancients. Once they reached the outskirts, Yuffie had given them a crash course in blending into the scenery as they moved in closer and closer to get a better look at the throngs of Repentant crawling over the Ancient buildings. The trio had remained hidden from sight for two hours, and it seemed as if they might be able to stay incognito.

Still, Yuffie had hoped she would never have to return to this place. After all, this place was haunted by bad memories. Four years ago, Yuffie stood by as one of her friends died at the hands of Sephiroth. While the others in their group had kept her at a distance (especially after that incident in Wutai where Yuffie had stolen all the party's materia), Aeris was always there to lend a sympathetic ear and make her feel welcome. Yuffie hated herself for a long time after being able to help Aeris, and couldn't stop herself from crying when Cloud commended her body to the Forgotten City's watery depths.

"_Not now!" _Yuffie reprimanded herself as she fought back tears. _"Gotta focus on the mission and find out what these bastards are up to. Gotta make sure Aeris's sacrifice isn't in vain!"_

"Hey kid," Cid whispered, shattering Yuffie's inner monologue, "you see anything?"

Yuffie collected herself as she continued looking through her binoculars. "Nothing in particular, old timer. Those Repentant creeps are just moving from building to building, hauling off books and stuff like that. Nothing that tells us what they're looking for. Argh, this is getting us nowhere!"

"Yuffie, calm down!" Cait Sith pleaded. "Look, do you know where they're taking those books?"

Yuffie calmed down and pondered Cait Sith's question. "Actually, now that you mention it…they seem to be taking all that stuff to that auditorium. You know, the one with the music box and the large crystal?"

"That place where that old coot showed us Aeris's prayer reaching the Planet?"

Yuffie nodded. "Now that I think about it, this Cyrus guy seems like the kind of arrogant prick that wouldn't teach his cronies what he knew about translating the Ancient language. He must be in the auditorium looking for…well, whatever the hell he's looking for!"

"Well, what the fuck are we waiting for, then?" Cid said as he stood up and grabbed his spear.

"W-wait a minute! Cid, we can't just go rushing in there! There's too many of them, and we still wouldn't learn what we came here to find out!"

"Yuffie's right," Cait Sith added. "We gotta prevent a battle. At least until we figure out what Cyrus is up to."

"You don't think I know that? I was just going to suggest we find some sort of crack in the wall or something so we can get a peek inside the auditorium. What, you think I'm that fucking stupid to just go and expose myself?"

"All right, all right! Gawd, sorry I doubted you, Cid," Yuffie relented. "Well, we better…wait, do you hear something?"

Cid was about to reply as several dark-clad figures emerged from behind and pounced on them. One had an overpowered shock rod and used it to short-circuit Cait Sith. The others grabbed a hold of Cid and Yuffie as one assailant produced a pair of syringes and, after stabbing the pair with them, injected whatever chemical cocktail into the pilot and the ninja. Yuffie managed to wriggle free and swing her fist at one of the assailants and connected.

That assailant's partners grabbed Yuffie and drove their knees into her stomach. Yuffie felt like throwing up as the world started to spin. She turned to watch Cid pass out due to the drug and fall to the ground hard.

"No…damn it…" Yuffie muttered as she succumbed to the drug and collapsed at the feet of her captors. The world went dark as she drifted into the abyss of dreamless sleep, clinging only to her anger...

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Cait Sith's onboard systems rebooted after what seemed like an eternity, but had only been about a half hour. He was locked in what appeared to be a cellar with only a couple holes giving his prison illumination. He tried moving his arms and legs, but he quickly realized that he was strapped to a table. The room he was in appeared to have been converted into some kind of lab by the Repentant. He quickly decided to run a diagnostic scan of his systems and make sure he was in working condition.

"_Hmm, other than some slight external charring, I think I'm okay. Wait, where's Mog?"_

"Nice to see you woke up. I wanted an opportunity to speak to Reeve's puppet."

Cait Sith quickly turned to see where that voice came from. With the flick of a switch, a tall, black-haired man carrying a cane and wearing a tattered grey overcoat emerged from the shadows and into the light. Cait Sith had heard the reports, and had gotten the description from Reeve before rendezvousing with Cid. He knew who this man was.

"Cyrus Thresher," Cait Sith stated with a snarl…or at least, as much a snarl he could muster. "Where are Cid and Yuffie?"

"They're fine. Those two are just sleeping off the effects of the sedative my comrades injected them with. They'll be out for another hour. In the meantime, I wanted to see Reeve's creation with my own eyes…the machine that could use materia."

"_Materia…" _Cait Sith looked at the materia slot on his paw. It was empty.

"Looking for this?" Cyrus said mockingly as he took Cait's Time Materia out of his left coat pocket. He tossed it into the air once before catching it and pocketing it again. "You know, it takes quite a bit of concentration to call forth the spirit energy to properly use a materia. And as I'm sure you know, more powerful materia require more spirit energy to use. Yet, you have no spirit energy of your own and can still call forth the powers of the Planet. I don't suppose you'd like to tell me how you accomplish such a feat?"

"Yeah, like hell! I'm not gonna help ya out. I don't care what you say or do! And just you wait…Reeve and Cloud'll come and take you and your Repentant down!"

"I didn't figure you'd be cooperative," Cyrus dryly commented. "But it doesn't matter. My plan will go forward with or without your assistance. However, I do need your help with one other matter."

"Oh yeah?" Cait Sith retorted. "And what's that?"

"Something you're very good at: relaying information. I'm sure your creator's been scratching his head raw trying to figure out what exactly I'm up to. I just want to ease his mind and let him know directly. Nothing sinister about that, is there?"

"And if I tell ya to go screw yourself?"

Cyrus shook his head as if he was disappointed. "Unfortunately, you're not going to have a say in this particular matter. I only need you to record and transmit…and I'm fairly certain that's a separate function from your AI protocol."

Cait Sith's eyes went wide at that last comment. "No…you wouldn't…"

"Why not?" Cyrus asked. "I have issues with killing fellow humans unnecessarily, but you're not human. If fact, technically you're not even alive. Removing your AI processor would be no different than flipping a switch or pulling the plug on a coffee maker. But I'm not without a heart even for something like you. So, before we shut your AI down, I have someone you might want to say goodbye to."

Cyrus sidestepped and motioned towards one of the room's corners. Cait was able to turn his head just enough to see what Cyrus was pointing at…although he soon wished he hadn't.

There, in a pile of twisted metal and shredded pink fluff, was Mog. The Repentant had taken the defenseless moogle and completely destroyed him, leaving him a battered mess of steel, stuffing, and wires. Cait Sith looked at the body of his companion and suddenly felt something he never felt before: pure, unadulterated rage.

"DAMN IT! DAMN IT ALL TO HELL!" Cait Sith screamed as one of the Repentant opened his access panel and removed the processor that governed his AI program. Suddenly, Cait began to lose any form of sentience as his AI started to fragment and shut down. The last thought Cait Sith had before the program had completely disintegrated was one of regret:

"_Reeve…Father. I'm sorry I failed…"_

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It had been a couple of days since the WRO had last had contact with Cid Highwind and the crew of the _Shera _as they embarked on their mission to spy on the Repentant. Since then, Cloud and the remaining AVALANCHE members had done their best to pass the time at WRO Headquarters, whether it be playing poker with some of the enlisted men and women or volunteering for routine monster hunts. They also checked in with Shelke on a regular basis to see if she was able to find out any new information on Cyrus or the Shinra control implants…but so far, Shelke had not been able to bring anything worthwhile to light.

Cloud sighed as he continued tuning up Fenrir. He wanted to change the oil and was on his back unscrewing the oil pan's plug, draining it. There were no monster hunts on schedule for today and he had no real desire to play cards. Besides, working on his motorcycle always helped keep his mind at ease…and if things were about to get rough between the WRO and the Repentant, he wanted to make sure both Fenrir and his swords were ready for battle.

"Hey, Cloud!" the soft, familiar voice of Tifa called out.

Cloud finished unscrewing the plug and looked up to see Tifa's smiling face. Although his face never showed it, her smile always made him feel better whenever he felt sad or guilty. Her smile seemed to dispel the darkness he held in his heart and bring him closer to the light. Again, he wondered if the feelings he felt were just those of a close friend or something more…

Cloud set his thoughts aside as he replied, "Hey Tifa. What's going on?"

Tifa sat down beside Cloud. "Nothing. Reeve and Shelke hadn't heard anything from Cid or the others, and I got tired of listening to Barret's rants or Vincent's brooding. I just hate waiting while our friends are in danger."

"Yeah," Cloud agreed. "But there's not a whole lot we can do. We just got to have faith in Cid and Yuffie and hope they're all right."

"I guess," Tifa said with a sigh. "So, just changing Fenrir's oil?"

"Something to keep me busy. Want to help?"

"Really?" Tifa asked, sounding a bit surprised. "Um, sure! What do you need?"

"Can you grab that oil filter sitting over there?" Cloud asked as he pointed towards a nearby toolbox.

Tifa sprang up and walked over. She grabbed what looked like a filter and walked back over to where Cloud was working. "Is this is?" Tifa inquired as she handed the object over.

"Yeah, that's the one. Thanks."

"No problem!" Tifa said with another bright smile. "Hey Cloud?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think this is ever going to end? You know, us rushing around the world, protecting the Planet?"

Cloud sighed as he removed the old oil filter and replaced it with the new one. "I hope so. I just…"

"…Cloud? What is it?"

Cloud cleared his throat. He was never comfortable talking about his feelings. "I just want us to be happy. And not just us, but Marlene and Denzel and all our friends. It's just…hard. Maybe this time, after all this is over…we can start living normal lives..."

"Cloud, what are you…" Tifa started to ask as a voice came over the loudspeakers.

"Cloud! We need you and your friends in the debriefing room, on the double!" Reeve's voice commanded.

Cloud quickly slid out from under Fenrir as both he and Tifa ran as quickly as they could to the debriefing room. Whatever Reeve needed to talk about sounded urgent, and with Cid and Yuffie in the middle of a large number of Repentant, Cloud figured things must have gone bad.

"_Run now…worry later," _Cloud thought as he navigated the corridors of WRO Headquarters. He'd find out soon enough what was making Reeve panic; and if he needed to, he'd find a way to save his friends.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Author's Notes:**

**Couldn't sleep, so I figured I'd post this chapter and take the weekend off. Hope you guys like it.**

**Hope the suspense is building. What's gonna happen to Cid and Yuffie? Will Cyrus reveal his plot? WILL SOMEONE WRITE ME A REVIEW BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT CHAPTER?!**

**I know the answers to the first two questions...and I'll share them with you eventually. As for the third question, that's up to you to answer. I LIKE REVIEWS! (Ok, stop being a spaz, Truth...idiot)**

**Later,**

**"The Exile" Cyrus Truth**


	11. Chapter 11

Yuffie woke up with headache that reminded her of her eighteenth birthday party at the Turtle's Paradise. She wanted to take her hands and massage her temples to help ease the pain, but she quickly discovered that her hands and feet were bound in chains and irons. On top of that, she felt cuts and bruises all over her arms and torso. Yuffie then remembered that she and her friends had been ambushed and drugged.

"Damn," Yuffie swore under her breath as she looked to her right to see Cid chained to the same wall she was. She quickly surveyed her surroundings and recognized the area she was being held prisoner in…the Ancient auditorium. It was here that, with the help of Red's grandfather Bugenhagen, AVALANCHE learned what Aeris had accomplished before her death: calling forth the power of the White Materia and unleashing Holy. In the end, it was the combined power of Holy and the Lifestream that halted the fall of Meteor four years ago and saved the Planet from complete destruction.

As she continued to look around the auditorium for something, ANYTHING that could help her and Cid escape, Yuffie noticed out of the corner of her eyes a small, black cat wearing a crown and cape sitting near the large crystal in the center. The crystal was used in conjunction with the music box to project images on falling water and was last used four years ago to show Yuffie and her friends Aeris's final moments.

However, Yuffie couldn't care less about that at the moment. "Cait!" Yuffie hissed so as not to attract the attention of any nearby Repentant. "Cait Sith! Over here! It's Yuffie and Cid!"

The toysaurus lazily cocked its head in the direction of Yuffie's voice. Yuffie noticed that the typically energetic Cait Sith almost acted like he wasn't really there. The usual whimsical gleam in Cait's eyes was replaced by a cold, vacant stare.

"Cait!" Yuffie said a little louder this time. "What's wrong? It's us, your friends. Look, we need you to call the WRO for help, find a key, something! W-why are you just sitting there? We need your help!"

"I'm afraid that machine's not in a position to help you anymore," a chilling voice called out from the direction of the center platform. A tall figure in a black shirt with intersecting yellow lines walked out from behind the crystal and stepped over Cait Sith. He carried a wooden cane and wore a grey overcoat. He calmly sat down at the platform's edge and started fidgeting with his glasses.

"So very nice to meet you, Ms. Kisaragi," Cyrus, leader of the Repentant, said with a cocky smile and a wild look in his eyes.

"You bastard. What did you do to Cait Sith?!" Yuffie demanded.

"Oh, that toy of Reeve's?" Cyrus responded facetiously. "I merely asked it to share some information with me and record my triumph for Reeve and the rest of your friends. However, it and I had a bit of a disagreement…but after my comrades did a bit of readjustment, he became very compliant towards my latter request."

Cyrus then produced a small computer chip from his coat pocket. Yuffie gasped; although she didn't know much about computers and machines, she was able to piece together what happened. "You son of a bitch! You killed Cait Sith!"

"Temper, temper, little girl," Cyrus chided. "For the princess of Wutai, that's hardly a proper thing to say. And then accusing me of murder? How dare you!"

"How dare I?! If I wasn't chained up, I'd show you how this 'little girl' could kick your sorry butt from here back to Nibelheim, you sadistic freak!"

Whether it was Yuffie's latest and loudest rant or just mere coincidence, Cid finally woke up from the sedative. He took a couple seconds to get his bearings before speaking up:

"Eh? What the hell…I'm chained up? Goddamn it! Yuffie, just what in Holy's name is going on here?"

"You want to know?" Yuffie said with an unusual amount of bitterness in her voice. "That bastard sitting by the crystal is Cyrus, and he and his Repentant goons removed Cait Sith's AI chip. They fucking KILLED him, Cid!"

"What?" Cid said in disbelief. Not only was he shocked at being a prisoner of Cyrus and the Repentant, but he had never heard Yuffie curse like that before. His confusion was replaced by rage as he addressed the Repentant leader. "You piece of shit! What'd you do that for? That damn cat never hurt nobody, so why kill him off?"

"Again with the accusations of homicide!" Cyrus exclaimed. "It is a machine! Nothing but wires and circuits. I can't kill a machine…all I did was flip a switch."

Cyrus then took the chip he removed from Cait Sith and crushed it in his hands. Yuffie's heart sunk as Cyrus pointed to what had been Cait Sith and continued, "This piece of technology exists now to record my triumph to Reeve and the rest of humanity. You should feel fortunate to bear witness to the salvation of the Planet…yes, very fortunate indeed."

Yuffie said nothing as she tried to fight back tears. Cid didn't have the same problem. "Salvation of the Planet, my ass! Whatever you're planning, it's only going to end up hurting people, so don't pretend like you and your Repentant jerk-offs are some fucking messiahs!"

Cyrus started to laugh as he rested his cane on his left shoulder, shaft sitting on top of his knee. "You truly are ignorant. It's almost heartbreaking, really. You really think the Repentant care one iota about humanity?"

That statement elicited a look of shock and confusion from both Cid and Yuffie. Cyrus laughed even harder after seeing their faces. "What? It's true: I couldn't care less about humanity. The aim of the Repentant is to save the Planet **from** humanity, not **for** humanity.

"You see, my comrades and I have come to a conclusion: humanity is not fit to be the Planet's caretakers. Human beings are selfish and arrogant by nature, and as a result will do anything to improve their stock in life. Even if it means they must maim and kill their fellow humans…even if it means raping the Planet. Humanity will always act in its own best interests. Even you so-called "defenders of the Planet" only do so because you had a personal interest, not because you really care about the Planet!"

"Fuck you say?" Cid blurted out. "That makes no goddamn sense at all! And just how in hell's name do you intend on saving the Planet from humanity?"

Cyrus smiled wickedly. "I'm so glad you asked. I assume you heard my speech at the Meteorfall Monument?"

"Yeah, so what?" Cid said with a snort.

"Perfect…that means that I don't have to go over the history lesson with you. Very well, I'll cut ahead to the good part."

Cyrus stood up and methodically tapped his cane on his left shoulder. "The Cetra's dedication to the Planet and the cultivation of the Lifestream pleased the Planet greatly. As a sign of trust and gratefulness, the Planet spoke to the Cetra one day and bestowed upon them three Legendary Materia which, when used, could change the fate of the Planet.

"One materia was as black as the starless night. This 'Black Materia' possessed the power to call forth the ultimate destructive magic: the World-Ender, Meteor. The Cetra, a peaceful people, rejected the power of the Black Materia and decided to use their power to turn the Black Materia into a temple, and make it so that no human could ever gain its devastating power. But, of course, we all know how that ended up…hehe."

Cid shot Cyrus a dirty look as the Repentant leader continued, "The second materia was called the White Materia although its color was closer to a pale green. This materia contained the power to call forth Holy, the Planet's ultimate defense against any dire threat. This materia fitted in much more with the Cetra's beliefs and they came to treat it as a treasure of their race…an heirloom passed down from the most powerful Cetra to the next."

Cyrus lowered his gaze as he stood up and faced the giant crystal. "The third materia was a source of contention among the Cetra. Unlike the other two, this materia had no color of its own. It was as clear as glass and possessed an extraordinary power: the ability to release spirit energy."

"So what?" Yuffie interjected quietly. "All materia releases spirit energy to call forth magic or summons or whatnot. What's so special about that?"

"Hmph," Cyrus replied, almost sounding disappointed. "A common misconception. Normal materia use spirit energy to call forth specific powers from the Planet. This materia actually grants its user the ability to return spirit energy to the Lifestream.

"Think of it as one big reset button. The Clear Materia's role is to return all life on the Planet into the spirit energy it once was in an instant. That energy returns to the Lifestream and, in turn, gives the Planet greater strength to heal its wounds and bring about new life. However, because it converts all life into spirit energy, it essentially wipes the slate clean, so to speak. No more monsters, no more flora or fauna…and no more humans."

"No way…" Cid muttered. "You're talking about wiping out every living thing on the Planet? How the fuck does that save it? You're bat-shit crazy! Fucking insane!"

"Crazy? Insane? Hardly. I told you, I don't care about humanity. Our species has had multiple opportunities to learn from our mistakes and work with the Planet, but we have time and time again forsaken that for our own selfish desires! I aim to give the Planet the energy it needs to heal itself and bring about a new utopia…a true Promised Land! The Repentant will offer all life as a penance offering and achieve forgiveness for humanity's transgressions! What exactly is so insane about that?"

"EVERTHING, DAMN IT!" Cid yelled. "You'd kill everything…every man, woman and child just because you feel guilty for some dumbass's bad decision? You'd kill us all for that?"

"To save the Planet? Yes…a million times over, if it was necessary."

That statement hit Cid like an Iron Man's fist as Cyrus pulled a tattered notebook from the recesses of his coat with his right hand. He held it up and said, "And thanks to my time with the Shinra Corporation, I was able to develop this codex. With it and the efforts of my fellow Repentant, I finally discovered the location of the Clear Materia. As it turns out, the Cetra were unsure whether or not they wanted the power this Legendary Materia offered, so they sealed it away in their capital city…in the very place we stand right now."

Cyrus dropped his notebook and grabbed his cane with both hands. In an instant, he drove the tip of his cane into the crystal with astonishing force. The crystal shattered, revealing a small platform with two winged-shaped appendages pointing upwards. Nestled between the appendages was a grapefruit-shaped sphere which looked as if it was made of flawless glass. Cyrus tenderly reached for the sphere and claimed it for himself. He then turned to Cid and Yuffie and triumphantly exclaimed:

"The Clear Materia…I've finally found it! After all these years, I've finally found the key to my reconciliation and the Planet's salvation!"

Cyrus started to laugh uncontrollably until a voice broke his reverie, "You idiot."

Cyrus stopped to see who interrupted him. Surprisingly, that voice came from the young ninja he had captured. "You claim to be an expert on the Ancients, but it seems you don't know anything. If that materia's anything like the Black or White Materia, then you won't be able to use it. Only an Ancient can use a materia of that level, and you sure as hell aren't an Ancient."

Cyrus was taken aback by the venom in the young woman's voice. He took a moment to collect himself as he smiled. "Really? Was Sephiroth a Cetra? Last I checked, he was able to call forth Meteor despite sharing no lineage with the Cetra. All one needs is the power of pure Lifestream to use a Legendary Materia, and I found a sufficient outlet of spirit energy that I can use. In fact, it's been used once before…nine years ago."

"The reactor at Nibelheim?!" Cid angrily demanded

"Perhaps. But that really doesn't concern you. At least, it won't in a few minutes," Cyrus said dryly as he stomped on Cait Sith, smashing the toysaurus into several pieces. Yuffie looked like she was going to cry all over again as a Repentant stepped out of the shadows and reported, "Sir, all is ready. We can depart as soon as you are ready."

"Very well. We leave immediately. Open the cages," Cyrus ordered.

The Repentant nodded as he left to complete his master's orders. Cyrus then pointed his cane at his captors with his cane and spoke. "I'm afraid that I must leave. The Planet won't be saved if I spend all my time dawdling here. But fear not, you will soon be rejoining the Lifestream…in fact, you'll be returning much sooner than the rest of humanity. My bandersnatches will see to that. Farewell…Cid Highwind, Yuffie Kisaragi. I will see you both again soon as part of the Lifestream. Ha, ha, ha…"

Cyrus calmly walked towards the nearest exit as Cid and Yuffie heard growling in the shadows. A minute later, the source of the growling made its presence known. First, it was one, then two, and then a whole pack of bandersnatches appeared, looking like they hadn't eaten anything in days. Cid cursed to himself as he tried to free himself from his shackles, all the while keeping an eye on the circling prisoners. He looked to Yuffie who was having no better luck than he was.

"_Damn it, Highwind! Think, you bastard…think!" _Cid screamed at himself. No solutions came to him as the predators prowled around them, preparing to pounce...

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Cloud, Reeve, and the other members of AVALANCHE watched the entire feed from Cait Sith in the debriefing room. They heard everything Cyrus said about the Clear Materia…although they all had a hard time digesting what was said by the Repentant leader. No one said a word as Cloud stood up and headed for the door.

"Cloud, wait," Reeve finally said, albeit weakly. Reeve was especially taking it hard because of the cruel treatment of his creation. "We have to figure out where Cyrus is heading next…we have to stop Cyrus and the Repentant before they use that materia."

"I know," Cloud muttered. "But Yuffie and Cid need our help. I'm going to the Forgotten City and bring them back."

"Not alone you're not, Cloud!" Tifa said as she stood up to join Cloud.

Barret was next to speak up, "Count me in, Spiky!"

"And I as well," Red added.

Vincent merely shrugged and grunted as he stood up to stand with the others.

"But…" Reeve started to protest before relenting. "Fine. You better hurry. I don't think Cyrus is the kind of person to leave things to chance, and that probably includes Cid and Yuffie. Just make sure you get them back before…"

Reeve's request was cut short by the sound of an explosion rocking the WRO Headquarters. The shockwave knocked everyone onto the floor as one of the WRO troopers reported in via radio:

"Director! Headquarters have been breached. It's the Repentant! They've come in force and have mech backup! Requesting reinforcements at the…son of a…NOOO!"

The radio conversation was cut off by the sound of gunfire and people screaming in pain. Reeve opened up another communications channel to Shelke. "Shelke! Where did the explosion originate?"

"Based on available intel, it seems the explosion originated in the document depository. I'm sending troops there to repel the invaders," Shelke stated in her usual calm matter.

"The depository…damn that Cyrus! I don't know how, but he snuck a bomb in!" Reeve swore as he grabbed his firearm and headed for the door. He was cut off by Cloud. "Let me go, Cloud! I have to help fight the Repentant!"

"Not alone," Cloud stated plainly. "We're helping. After we deal with the Repentant, we'll go rescue Cid and Yuffie. People, let's make this quick."

Reeve nodded approvingly. "Thank you. Follow me."

Reeve took the lead as Cloud and his friends followed close behind. Cloud wanted to save his friends from Cyrus, but he wouldn't sacrifice the lives of the WRO troopers to accomplish that. He knew Cid and Yuffie would understand.

"_Hang in there," _Cloud thought as he unsheathed First Tsurugi and continued chasing after Reeve through the winding corridors of WRO Headquarters.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Author's Notes:**

**So I've finally revealed Cyrus's plan. Hope it was as awesome as I thought it would be.**

**Again, thanks to all the people who've been reading my story and giving me feedback. You guys rock SO HARD!!!**

**You guys are awesome. I think reviews are awesome. Therefore, if you leave me a review, you become doubly awesome!!! Take advantage of the opportunity...live the dream, kiddies!**

**Until next time,**

**"The Exile" Cyrus Truth**


	12. Chapter 12

"_No, damn it! This can't be happening!" _Yuffie thought as she continued to try and fight her way out of her chains as the bandersnatches continued to circle her and Cid. She frantically tried to recall everything she learned about escaping, but the lessons were not coming to her fast enough. She was beginning to lose hope as one of the bandersnatches looked like it had finally decided it was time to devour the two prisoners.

"_No, no! Is this really how it's going to end? After all me and my friends have been through, I get eaten by a pack of bandersnatches? No, this isn't right! We still have work to do! We got to stop the Repentant! Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!"_

Yuffie's internal monologue was shattered by the howl of the alpha bandersnatch. In an instant, two bandersnatches separated from the pack and quickly rushed Cid and Yuffie. Yuffie knew there wasn't any time left as one of the bandersnatches jumped up and lunged at her. In a second, it would all be over…

BANG! BANG!

Yuffie had her eyes shut until she heard the sound of guns firing. She opened them to see the dead body of a bandersnatch lying in front of her. As she moved her gaze up, she saw the familiar sight of a blonde man wearing a white suit, flanked on either side by someone wearing a black suit. The black suits carried Shinra-standard issue pistols, whereas the man in white wielded a heavily modified shotgun which he deftly fired with one hand.

"Rufus?! What are you and the Turks doing here?" Yuffie asked, half relieved and half confused.

"Just taking care of business," Rufus calmly said as he reloaded his weapon, named after his prized hellhound Dark Nation. "Reeve hired us to keep an eye on Cyrus and his henchmen and figure out what he was planning. Now that we have, our orders are to find and eliminate him. In the meantime, we figured we might get a bonus if we rescue two of Reeve's WRO officers. So, shut up and let us do our job.

"Reno! You and Rude free these two. Tseng, Elena and I will handle the bandersnatches."

"Understood," the normally-silent Rude said as he and Reno jumped down to join their companions. While Rude worked on freeing Cid from his shackles, Reno did the same for Yuffie. All the while, the sound of the Shinra pistols and Dark Nation reverberated in the auditorium as Rufus and his Turks held the bandersnatches at bay.

"Well, princess…looks like you got yourself in quite a predicament here," Reno said in his typical cocky manner as he worked to cut through the shackles with a low-intensity plasma cutter.

"Just shut up and get me out of these chains, smart-ass!" Yuffie demanded.

"All right, all right…far be it for me to disappoint a lady," Reno said with a smirk as he deftly cut through Yuffie's shackles. Once she was free, Reno stood up and handed Yuffie her shuriken. "Yeah, we found that in a storage room along with the Repentant who were guarding it. I figured you might want it."

"Thanks. Guess you Turks aren't so bad anymore," Yuffie muttered. She then smiled as she grabbed her shuriken as she shouted, "Now stand back! The White Rose of Wutai has some monster butt-kicking to do!"

"Whatever you say, princess," the sloppily-dressed red-head replied somewhat lazily as he grabbed his trusty Shinra Electro-Mag Rod. Rude had succeeded in freeing Cid as well as reuniting the pilot with his spear. The four of them joined in the fight with the bandersnatches, and between all seven of them the monsters didn't last long. When the last monster fell to Cid's spear, he grabbed a cigarette from his jacket pocket and lit it as he asked:

"Well, Rufus…as much as I hate to admit it, I got to thank you for saving our asses. Too bad you didn't get here sooner and drill that bastard Cyrus right between his fucking eyes."

"A real shame," Rufus replied as he holstered Dark Nation. He ran his fingers through his hair as he continued, "Unfortunately, we were only able to get here in time to hear Cyrus's plans and save you two. It's not a problem, though; we know where he's heading next."

"Nibelheim," Tseng added.

"Yeah, that bastard's planning on pulling the same shit that Sephiroth did nine years ago. Crazy shithead's going to wipe everything off the face of the Planet if we don't stop him."

"It's nothing to worry about, Cid," Rufus said confidently. "Between you and your friends, the WRO, and the Turks, I highly doubt the Repentant will be able to pull this off. Speaking of which…"

Rufus was interrupted by the sound of a helicopter taking off and passing by overhead. "That bastard!" Reno swore. "He just stole our chopper! And I left my favorite pair of goggles in the pilot's seat, too. Damn it anyhow…"

"I'll be sure to requisition you a new pair, Reno," Rufus stated. "Cid, it looks like we need to hitch a ride with you back to WRO Headquarters. Think you can give us a lift?"

"No problem, kid!" Cid said with a smile. "The _Shera's _not too far away and I doubt those Repentant assholes would've found it. Even if they did, my crew would've kicked their asses from here to the Northern Crater before letting them have my airship. It's the least I can do for you numbskulls!"

"Then let's not waste any time talking about it," Tseng suggested. "Lead the way, Captain Highwind."

Cid nodded as he led the group towards one of the auditorium's exit. Reno and Yuffie brought up the rear as Reno noticed the ninja looking back towards the shattered crystal. More specifically, she was staring at the mangled remains of Cait Sith with a sad look in her eyes.

"You all right, princess?" Reno asked.

Yuffie turned to face the Turk with a look of determination in her eyes. "I'm fine, Reno. Let's go before Cid leaves without us. Oh, and stop calling me princess…unless you want my boot up your ass."

Reno chuckled as he and Yuffie ran to catch up to the others. Yuffie took one quick glance back at the machine that was once her friend. He'd be replaced with a new Cait Sith, no doubt…but Yuffie would never forgive what Cyrus had done to him.

"_That bastard's going to pay dearly," _Yuffie promised herself as she fastened her shuriken to her back and followed Cid and the Turks back into the forest and towards the _Shera._

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The hole in the WRO Headquarters that was once the document depository was flooded with Repentant and their mechanized fighting machines. Once Cloud had entered the battle, he recognized the machines as Custom Sweepers. This mechs were one of Shinra's military projects and spent most of their time patrolling the wastelands outside of Midgar. The Repentant must have rounded up some of them and reprogrammed them to fight on their side.

"_And modified them to be tougher,"_ Cloud noted as the WRO troopers' machine guns were doing little to no damage to the Custom Sweepers. The mechs didn't have the same problem, as their Model W Machine Gun arms tore into the defensive barriers the WRO had set up and started to hit WRO troopers, killing some and injuring the others.

"Tifa, Red!" Cloud shouted over the gunfire. "You're with me! We have to take out those Sweepers. Vincent, Barret, and Reeve will provide covering fire!"

Everyone acknowledged the order with a nod as Barret opened fire with his Ungarmax. Cloud, Tifa, and Red fought their way through the swarms of Repentant with sword, fang, and fist. Finally, they managed to get close to the line of five Custom Sweepers that had pinned the WRO down. Three of the Sweepers had apparently decided that Cloud and his party presented a greater threat as they turned to face the former AVALANCHE members.

Cloud, Tifa, and Red nodded in sync as each split up to take on a Sweeper one-on-one. The Sweeper paired off with Red XIII opened fire first, but Red nimbly dodged the bullets as he quickly flanked the mech. He jumped on the Sweeper's back as he clawed into a service hatch, all the while trying to stay on as the Sweeper attempted to buck him off. Red finally dug deep enough to find some important-looking wires, which he immediately pulled out with his teeth. The Sweeper continued to thrash and sputter until it finally powered down.

Meanwhile, Tifa was weaving in and out as her opponent fired at her with its W-Machine Guns. Once she got in close enough to where the machine couldn't retaliate with its firearms, Tifa took a few seconds to clear her mind and concentrate. Then, in one swift move, the female fighter drove her fist deep into the front grate of the Custom Sweeper, crushing the machine's control system and rendering it little more than junk steel.

Cloud had removed one of the smaller blades from First Tsurugi and used the larger blade to reflect his Custom Sweeper's lead barrage. Cloud pressed forward towards his mechanized foe despite the Sweeper's best efforts to drive him back. Finally, once he had gotten close enough, Cloud swung both blades down on the Custom Sweeper's arms, rendering its machine guns useless. Cloud fitted the smaller blade back into First Tsurugi before driving the massive sword into the center of the war machine with the blade pointed towards the sky. The black-clad warrior then jumped into the air while running the blade through the Sweeper, cleaving the machine in two with a powerful Climhazzard.

Once Cloud landed and checked on Tifa and Red, the final two Custom Sweepers exploded and turned into scrap. Two WRO troopers had managed to grab a pair of rocket launchers in the hope that the explosive ordinance would take the heavily-armored mechs down. They were right.

With the destruction of the Custom Sweepers, the WRO and AVALANCHE focused their efforts on driving the Repentant out of the fortress. The Repentant suffered extensive casualties knowing full well that they couldn't hope to win this battle. Still, no order of retreat was sounded, and the Repentant troopers fought until the last man was struck down by Cloud Strife.

The WRO had suffered casualties as well, but not to the extent that the Repentant incurred. Cloud shook his head in disbelief at the zealotry this group possessed as he wiped his sword clean and sheathed it. He, Tifa, and Red met back up with Barret, Vincent, and Reeve as the WRO worked to try and clean up the mess and piece together what had just occurred.

"Thank you, Cloud…everyone," Reeve said, exhausted. "But I'm afraid that the damage done by the Repentant is worse than we expected. My men are reporting that the Repentant managed to sabotage and destroy our entire airship fleet, which means…"

Reeve was interrupted by the sound of his cell phone's ringing. He pulled the phone out and answered it. "Yes…All right, Shelke, what have you got? Is this right? Well, that's a relief. Thank you again, Shelke."

Reeve hung up as he said to Cloud, "At least we have some good news. Cid and Yuffie are alive and heading back on the _Shera. _Rufus Shinra and the Turks rescued them. They're heading back here at maximum speed, and will be here in a couple of days."

"Really?" Tifa asked as she ran over to embrace Cloud. "Cloud, they're all right!"

"Yeah," Cloud simply stated as he wrapped an arm around Tifa. A small smile formed on his lips knowing that his friends were alive and coming back. Although he didn't like Rufus all that much, Cloud made a mental note to thank the former president of Shinra when he got here.

"There's more," Reeve said somberly. "It appears that Cyrus is heading for the Nibelheim Reactor after all. And he's taking a helicopter as well, which means he'll be arriving in Nibelheim sometime in the next five to seven days."

Cloud broke his embrace with Tifa as he said, "This isn't over. We'll need the _Shera _for the assault on Nibelheim. In the meantime, we need to prepare for battle."

"Absolutely," Reeve acknowledged. "We'll prepare our gunboats for an amphibious assault. If we push them, we can reach Nibelheim in three days. I'd like you and your friends to launch an aerial attack from the _Shera. _Hopefully, that'll allow us to take down the Repentant with minimal casualties."

Cloud nodded. "Fine. It worked four years ago in Midgar. No reason why it won't work now. We're stopping Cyrus before he can release the Clear Materia. I swear it."

Reeve nodded. "You five get some rest. I'll work with Shelke to hammer out the details for the assault. I'll call you if I need you."

"Thank you. Tifa, everyone? Let's go."

The members of AVALANCHE nodded in agreement with their spiky-headed leader as they each made their way to their respective quarters. Cloud took some time to patch up his wounds with a first-aid kit and replenish his energy with a Hi-Potion. After that, he lied down on his bed and decided to take a nap. Holy only knew when he'd get the chance to rest again.

The final battle with the Repentant was coming, and the fate of the Planet rested once again on Cloud's broad shoulders.

"_I won't fail…Aeris…Zack..."_

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Author's Notes:**

**Booya! New fan alert! Thanks to Lioneh for favoriting my story AND leaving me a review. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oy, Oy, Oy! (Truth, I hope that was all right. I mean no offense!)**

**The final battle's looming...tension is building. The best part of this story is coming up soon...and I'm going to make sure it's kick-ass for all the people who've supported me in this fanfic.**

**Don't make me beg for a review...you wouldn't like me when I beg for a review...RARRGH!!!**

**Thanks again,**

**"The Exile" Cyrus Truth**


	13. Chapter 13

"Master Cyrus," shouted the Repentant piloting the helicopter Cyrus had hijacked back at the Forgotten City, "it seems we won't have enough fuel to make it back to Nibelheim. What are your orders?"

Cyrus sighed as he fidgeted with his glasses. While the majority of the Repentant that joined him on his pilgrimage to the Forgotten City had taken the boat back to Nibelheim, he decided that he could return faster by taking the Turk's Shinra-issue helicopter. Unfortunately, with the low fuel problem, he'd be lucky to make it back before the boat.

"_Oh, well. One or two day's difference won't matter in the end," _Cyrus thought as he clutched the Clear Materia in his right hand and his cane in his left. He took a moment to admire the Legendary Materia before pocketing it. "All right. Head to the nearest town and see if we can't refuel there. We can't save the Planet if we crash, now can we?"

"Yes, sir!" the Repentant pilot acknowledged. "From our current position and with our fuel supply, we should be able to make it to Costa del Sol. They possess a helipad and fuel reserves that we can use."

"Make it so," Cyrus ordered as he sat back and relaxed. Aside from the pilot, Cyrus had selected two other Repentant to join him in the helicopter. All three Repentant had earned Cyrus's trust and admiration when they discovered the three spies Reeve had sent to the Forgotten City. While Cyrus was certain the WRO was in no position to effectively launch a retaliatory strike against him and his Collective for at least a week, he had learned to be careful and to never count out any variables.

Several hours later, the commandeered Shinra helicopter landed at the helipad at Costa del Sol's dockyards. Cyrus stepped out and immediately breathed in the ocean air, heard the sound of seagulls over the crashing waves. Seeing the beautiful coastal town with all the smiling faces almost made Cyrus regret what he would soon be doing…almost.

Still, since they were here…

"Comrades, gather round," Cyrus softly commanded. "I want you to refuel the helicopter and run a quick maintenance check. Then, I want you to take advantage of our time here and enjoy yourselves."

"Sir?"

Cyrus chuckled. "It's getting late, and it's dangerous to fly the helicopter at night. Besides, we have all worked very hard to complete our penance. I'm sure the Planet will not mind if we take a small break to sit back and admire its beauty before we and all life return to the Lifestream. All right?"

The Repentant nodded in unison. "We understand, master. And…thank you. We will do as you asked."

"Very well. Proceed with your duties." Cyrus said as he started to make his way into town. After getting to the alley connecting Costa del Sol to the docks, he called back and added, "Oh, and please do something about that Shinra insignia. It stands as an offense to the Repentant."

He didn't hear any of his comrades reply back, but Cyrus figured they were busy enough with their duties and decided it wasn't a particularly important request. The Repentant leader walked past Costa del Sol's many stores and outdoor kiosks before making his way to the tourist town's famous beaches. As he stepped out, his military-style boots sunk deep into the sun-kissed sand. Cyrus fought the urge to remove his boots and go barefoot as he stopped just short of where the tide was coming in. A pair of dolphins was playing with some of the tourists out in the warm ocean water. Cyrus smiled and shook his head as he reached for the Clear Materia in his pocket and held it up to the sun. The materia acted as a prism, separating the white light into its many colors. Cyrus admired the colors as a tiny voice piped up:

"Hey, mister! Whatcha got there?"

Cyrus looked down towards the source of the voice: a five year old girl with blonde pigtails. She wore a pink sundress with yellow polka dots, and her feet were bare. She looked up at Cyrus without a trace of nervousness and asked again with a smile, "Mister! You awake? I asked ya whatcha got there?"

"This?" Cyrus said. "This is a materia. Do you know what a materia is, little one?"

The little girl pouted a little as she put her hands on her hips. "Hey, I got a name, okay? It's Gabby! And I know what a materia is! It's a magic rock, right?"

Cyrus laughed. "Not exactly…Gabby was it? Let me ask you; have you ever heard of the Lifestream or the Ancients?"

Gabby nodded excitingly. "Yep! Mommy says the Ancients lived a long time ago and protected people like us from monsters. Mommy also said the Ancients aren't around any more and watch over us from the Lifestream."

"That's correct. The Ancient's knowledge continues to watch over the Planet from the Lifestream. That knowledge sometimes transforms into stones that people can use to call up magic. That's what a materia really is."

"Wow…" the little girl whispered in amazement. "So, what's that materia do? I never saw a materia without color before."

"That's because this is a very special materia. If I focus hard enough, I can fix the Planet with it."

"Really? I didn't know the Planet was broken."

Cyrus nodded. "Oh, yes. But this materia will take a lot out of me…even end up hurting me and my friends if I use it. It's that powerful."

"Oh…but, if it can fix the Planet, you and your friends can be tough. Can't ya, mister?"

Cyrus was surprised by the little girl's last statement. _"Yes. I can be tough…I will be. No matter the cost, no matter the sacrifice…I will fix the Planet."_

"Mister?" Gabby asked. "You okay? You look a little weird just now."

"I'm fine, Gabby," Cyrus said, pushing his thoughts aside. He pocketed the Clear Materia again and reached for the Time materia he had taken from Reeve's puppet back in the Forgotten City. "Here, this is for you. Consider it a thank you for helping me see things clearly."

"Wow, thanks!" Gabby said as she grabbed the materia from Cyrus's outstretched hand. She admired it for a few seconds when a feminine voice called her name by the seawall.

"Sounds like your mother's worried. Better go to her, little one."

"Yeah, ok. Thanks again for the magic rock…I mean, materia! Buh-bye!"

The little girl waved before running as fast as her little legs could carry her toward the source of her mother's voice. Cyrus smiled as he made his way to a lounge chair under a large umbrella and sat down. A serving girl stopped by to see if he wanted anything to drink; Cyrus ended up ordering a carafe of Corel wine. When the server returned to fulfill the order, the Repentant leader looked out towards the horizon, more sure than ever of his course of action.

"_Thank you, dear Gabby," _Cyrus mused as he sipped his drink.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It had been a couple of days since Yuffie, Cid, Rufus, and the Turks had escaped from the Repentant's trap and headed back to WRO Headquarters on the _Shera. _While Cid piloted the airship and exchanged information (along with the occasional insult) with Rufus and Tseng, Yuffie spent most of the trip in her cabin. Her notorious motion-sickness problem wasn't as bad as it had been four years ago…but that didn't mean that looking out the _Shera's _giant view port didn't make her stomach turn. So, Yuffie spent the trip dressing her wounds, practicing her ninja skills, or just plain napping. She was in the middle of replacing a gauze wrap on her right arm when her cabin door flew open.

"Morning, princess!" Reno said in a singsong tone as he sauntered into Yuffie's cabin.

"You prick!" Yuffie screamed. "Don't you know how to knock, damn it?"

"Oh, yeah…well, I just figured since we were such good friends and you're still ETERNALLY grateful for me saving you from that sleaze Don Cornea that you wouldn't mind me inviting myself in."

"Fuck off, Reno," Yuffie replied as she gave Reno the middle finger. "I'm busy here."

Reno shook his head and smiled. "Looks to me like you're busy screwing up that wrap-job on your arm. Let me help."

Yuffie frowned. Looking at her attempt at dressing the scratches on her arm, she realized Reno was right: it was a slipshod job. Not that she would admit it to Reno, of course.

"I'll get it…I don't need your help."

"Aw, come on," Reno said with what sounded like concern in his voice. "It'll be quicker if I help. The last thing anyone needs is for that scratch to get infected, especially before we go kick Cyrus Thresher's ass."

Yuffie was confused. Was Reno actually being…nice? She decided to test his sincerity by relenting. "Fine. If you think you can do a better job, prove it."

Reno smirked as he walked over to Yuffie's bed. He sat down beside her and, in a matter of seconds, fixed Yuffie's poor excuse for a dressing and bandaged her arm up. Yuffie was admiring Reno's handiwork until he shocked her by planting a kiss on top of the bandage. "There. Feel better, princess?"

"You bastard!" Yuffie shouted as she went to take a swing at the red-head. Reno deftly ducked and scrambled to make it back to the doorway. He was laughing as he said:

"Geez, princess. Take it easy. It was just a little peck, for Holy's sake! Didn't Daddy ever kiss your boo-boos when you were a kid?"

Yuffie scoffed as she tossed a pillow at Reno's head. "You wanna kiss my 'boo-boos' and make them feel better? I've got a bruise on my ass…how's about you kiss that?"

"Is that an offer?"

"Go to hell, Reno," Yuffie said with a snarl. After a couple of seconds, though, Yuffie started to chuckle a little bit. As strange as Reno was, he did manage to take Yuffie's mind off what she witnessed at the Forgotten City. If nothing else, Yuffie did owe Reno that much.

"Thanks, you red-headed bastard."

"No problem," Reno said as if he knew what Yuffie was really thanking him for. "Just looking out for an old friend. Well, I better go find Rude. I left him with Elena…"

"Yikes…and I thought being a bandersnatch's chew toy was bad. Better go save Baldie," the young ninja replied playfully.

Reno gave Yuffie a mock salute as he left her cabin to go searching for his partner. To her surprise, Yuffie couldn't get Reno out of her mind. She wasn't sure about the Turk, but it did seem as if he was mildly flirting with her. Not that she could blame him, of course…she WAS the White Rose of Wutai, after all.

Yuffie smiled at the remote possibility of a relationship with Reno. It certainly wouldn't be boring…and Godo would freak out at the thought of his daughter courting the slothful red-headed Turk. _"Hmm…"_

"Attention, crew!" Cid shouted over the intercom. "We'll be arriving at WRO Headquarters in thirty minutes. Get your shit together and get your asses to your stations!"

Yuffie sprang up and grabbed her gear as she exited her cabin and headed for the bridge. The time for daydreaming and playtime was most certainly over. Once they landed, the WRO in conjunction with the Turks and AVALANCHE would only have a few minutes before they would be heading out again.

The Repentant awaited them at Nibelheim. Their leader intended to call forth one final spell...and bring about the end of humanity.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Author's Notes:**

**I'm on a roll...a chapter every day? I must be CRAZY!**

**But seriously, I hope you guys appreciate it. I do what I can to please the fans.**

**Anyway, this chapter's a bit of fluff, but I thought it was a nice chapter nonetheless. Hope you enjoy it.**

**Reviews are my drug...and you are my dealers. C'mon, people...hook me up!**

**Until next time,**

**"The Exile" Cyrus Truth**


	14. Chapter 14

Reeve stood amongst the wreckage of the WRO's once impressive airship fleet as the hangar doors opened to allow the _Shera _to dock. Once the airship was secured, Reeve led its crew to WRO Headquarters' main atrium, where all of the WRO's forces along with Cloud and his friends were assembled. Reeve motioned for Cid, Yuffie, and the Turks to stand next to Cloud as he headed for the platform set up in the middle of the crowd. He took a few seconds to quiet the troops before giving his speech.

"Listen up…we know what Cyrus Thresher and the Repentant are planning thanks to the efforts of Captain Highwind and Commander Kisaragi. We also know that Cyrus is returning to Nibelheim to use the abandoned Mako reactor to call forth the power of the Clear Materia. There's no telling how much time we have before it's too late, but I for one refuse to stand back and let this madman have his way without a fight!"

The WRO troopers cheered at this as Reeve continued, "Without our airship fleet, we'll be launching an amphibious attack on Nibelheim from the closest beach. The bulk of our forces will engage the Repentant head-on, and will be assisted by Rufus Shinra and the Turks. I ask that both groups work in concert and help one another complete the mission.

"While our forces engage the majority of the Repentant Army, AVALANCHE under the command of Cloud Strife will parachute behind enemy lines from the _Shera. _While we keep the Repentant occupied, Cloud and the others will find and neutralize Cyrus Thresher and the Repentant leadership before they have a chance to use the Clear Materia. If we push both the boats and the _Shera _their limits, we will be able to reach Nibelheim in three days…"

Reeve sighed as he finished his speech, "I don't know if we'll be able to make it in time, but all life on the Planet deserved the right to live regardless of what Cyrus and the Repentant say. We will atone for our mistakes in caring for the Planet, and we will do it without losing our hopes, dreams, and aspirations. All life, all humanity can do better…and we deserve the chance to prove it. My friends, the fate of humanity rests in your hands…and I have faith in you and humanity. Dismissed."

"YES, SIR!" the WRO troopers shouted in response as every one present filed out and headed to their assigned vessels. At the same time, Reeve, Cloud and the rest of AVALANCHE followed Cid to the _Shera _as Cid's crew finished refueling and arming the airship. As Cloud followed his friends onboard, Reeve grabbed his shoulder and stopped him.

"Cloud?" Reeve asked. "What do you think? Is this going to work?"

"Hmph," Cloud replied. "We can only hope we get there in time. If we do, I'll stop Cyrus. I promise you that."

Reeve looked into Cloud's Mako-enhanced eyes and saw the same fierce determination he saw four years ago when he masqueraded as Cait Sith. Reeve nodded as a sign of approval. "All right. Then let's not waste any time. The Repentant won't wait for us, after all."

Cloud let out a grunt as he and Reeve boarded the _Shera _just in time for liftoff. As the airship ascended into the boundless sky, Cloud looked out towards the sea, where the WRO fleet had assembled and launched towards the Western Continent and Nibelheim. He took a deep breath and let whatever worries and concerns he had out when he exhaled. Cloud knew that worrying about arriving too late wouldn't make the _Shera _or the WRO's boats move any faster, after all.

Instead, Cloud would sharpen his swords and make sure Tifa and the rest of his friends were ready for combat. If…no, WHEN they made it to Nibelheim, they would be ready to fight the Repentant and stop Cyrus.

"_The fate of humanity rests in your hands…and I have faith in you and humanity."_

Cloud clenched the grip of First Tsurugi tightly. He would not let Reeve, his friends, or humanity down. Not now, not ever again…

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The stolen Shinra helicopter, now emblazoned with the emblem of the Repentant, landed on the outskirts of Nibelheim two days after refueling in Costa del Sol. The Repentant leader Cyrus Thresher stepped out to be greeted by his five lieutenants bending their right knee in respect.

"Master!" Atlas spoke up. "When the boat returned without you, we were concerned for your well-being. Were you delayed?"

Cyrus rested his cane on his left shoulder as he replied, "Unfortunately, yes. The Turks were not kind enough to keep enough fuel in their helicopter. A misjudgment on my part, and I do apologize for worrying you."

"We need no such courtesy, master," Nimuria said as she and the other Repentant officers stood up. "All that matters is that you are safe…and that you were successful in your quest."

"That I was, my dear…that I was."

Cyrus smiled as he produced the Clear Materia from his coat pocket. All of his lieutenants looked upon the powerful stone with awe and wonder. "My friends, my comrades…the Clear Materia, in all its glory. The cornerstone of our penance now rests in the hands of the truly sorrowful. Now, I must consult with my manuscripts and learn the Prayer of Life needed to reach the Planet and grant me the strength to use this gift of the Lifestream."

Cyrus's lieutenants looked at one another with looks of concern. "Is something wrong?" Cyrus asked.

Rei, her ear still bandaged from when she was punished, was first to speak up. "Forgive us, sir…but our spies indicate that the assault on Fort Condor was only partially successful. Our comrades managed to decimate their airship fleet, but were unable to inflict similar casualties to the WRO soldiers themselves. It seems that Cloud Strife and his companions were present at the battle and led the WRO to victory.

"We lost a significant amount of soldiers in the assault, as well as five of our Custom Sweepers. On top of that, it seems that the WRO is heading for Nibelheim by sea. They'll be here in two to four days."

Rei, timid as ever, half-expected Cyrus to end her life right there and then. However, to her and the rest of the lieutenants' surprise, Cyrus instead let loose a loud laugh. He peered at the Clear Materia as he said:

"So, the traitors aim to crush us all? How amusing! Very well…if it's war they want, then the Repentant will unleash Hades upon them!

"Atlas, ready the troops for battle. Saion, Rei, Alanye, prepare our defenses…mechs, turrets, whatever we have! I will not let Reeve or his flunkies stop us from completing the task we set out to do. Let this upcoming battle stand as a testament to our will…a statement of our purpose and our desire for the Planet's forgiveness!"

"Yes, sir!" the Repentant lieutenants acknowledged as all but Nimuria ran off to complete their master's bidding. Nimuria locked eyes with Cyrus as she asked, "And what of me, master? What would you have me do?"

"Nothing save stay by my side for the trials to come," Cyrus said plainly as he pocketed the Clear Materia and rested his right hand on Nimuria's shoulder. "I need your strength for what I must do. Will you stand with me, my angel of death?"

Nimuria gently grabbed Cyrus's hand and placed it over her heart. "I live my life for you, master Cyrus. I live to see you complete your noble work, and will die to stop those who would do you harm. My life and my soul…they are yours to do with what you please."

Cyrus nodded approvingly. "Thank you, Nimuria. The will of the Planet shall be done."

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Author's Notes:**

**Kairi-loves-Sushi...my biggest fan. Truth only knows how much I appreciate your feedback. I promise to make sure this story continues to kick ass!**

**The battle looms in the distance. The fate of the Planet and all life will be decided...Pretty intense stuff, isn't it?**

**Keep on rockin' in the free world...and give me a review while you're rockin' out!**

**Until next time,**

**"The Exile" Cyrus Truth**


	15. Chapter 15

It had been three days since Cyrus's triumphant return to Nibelheim with the Clear Materia. Tension was running high amongst the Repentant as they waited for the inevitable confrontation with the WRO. Atlas kept the troops busy over the past few days with drills and instructions on how best to combat and defeat the much-larger and better-trained WRO army. Saion had taken it upon himself to make sure the automated turrets and re-purposed Shinra mechanized combatants were up and active to help bolster the Repentant's ranks. Meanwhile, Rei and Alanye under orders from their master scouted the path to the Mt. Nibel Reactor to ensure that, when Cyrus completed his research, he would be able to reach his destination.

It was at this time that Cyrus, accompanied by Nimuria, finished deciphering the Prayer of Life. This Cetra prayer, as Cyrus believed, would allow him to reach the collective consciousness of the Planet and grant him the spirit energy he would need to use the Clear Materia. Since there were no Cetra left in the world to consult with and there were no records of a normal human ever attempting what Cyrus was about to do, there was a significant chance that this wouldn't work.

But Cyrus was confident in his research and knew that acquiring power on such a scale was not impossible. Sephiroth had done it nine years ago, and only because he refused to dissolve into the Lifestream when struck down by Cloud Strife at the very same reactor Cyrus's journey would lead him to. And whereas Sephiroth coerced the Planet into divulging its secrets, Cyrus would instead ask the Planet for the same power…with reverence and piousness like the Cetra did millennia ago.

Cyrus smiled as he closed his notebook and stood up from his chair. He grabbed his coat and cane from the corner of the bedroom he was working out of in Shinra Manor. After putting his coat back on and checking his pocket to ensure that the Clear Materia was where it needed to be, he turned his gaze towards Nimuria sitting cross-legged on the bed.

Nimuria had remained by his side ever since the day he returned to Nibelheim. While Cyrus poured over his old research, Nimuria remained silent, spending her time either sharpening her daggers or meditating like she was right now. Her eyes peered out the window, but her consciousness was elsewhere.

Cyrus sighed as he walked over to Nimuria. Out of all the Repentant, Nimuria alone held a special place in his heart. She had stood by Cyrus ever since the day he saved her from a pair of Shinra grunts five years ago in Midgar. The scars on her right cheek were as a result of one of Hojo's twisted experiments aimed at testing the limits of human potential in combat. Day after day, Nimuria was forced to fight off other "test subjects" one after another armed with only her daggers and whatever chemical stimulant Hojo decided to test that particular day. She managed to escape after six months in captivity before running into two Shinra infantrymen in Sector 3. The Shinra goons would've dragged her back to Hojo had Cyrus not eliminated them with a Break spell, turning them into statues.

Like Cyrus, Nimuria had seen firsthand the true nature of humanity and had decided after hearing Cyrus's plan to aid him in his work. Together, they recruited others who shared their philosophy. Their group became a following…a following that eventually became a legion. Thus, the Repentant was born.

And soon, the Repentant along with all life on the Planet would return to the Lifestream, becoming the energy to bring about the new utopia. Cyrus kept his feelings of euphoria bottled up inside as he reached Nimuria and place his hand on her shoulder, breaking her self-induced trance.

"Nimuria, I've completed my studies. It's time to make our final journey."

Nimuria turned around, the life returning to her dark-blue eyes. "Yes, master. It's time for us to pay a penance long overdue by humanity."

Cyrus nodded as he led Nimuria to the manor's front door. Before he could head outside, Atlas burst through the door with a look of concern on his face.

"Master Cyrus…Our comrades have spotted the WRO vessels unloading troops and assault vehicles. Their armored personnel carriers will be in sight of Nibelheim in five minutes!"

"And thus it begins," Cyrus muttered. "Atlas, you and Saion will lead our comrades in battle. I will take Nimuria, Rei, and Alanye up the mountain to the reactor. Do NOT let any of the traitors follow us."

"None will pass, master. I swear it."

"Well, to be honest, my friend…I doubt it can be avoided. Especially if Strife and his companions are participating in this battle. If nothing else, delay them as long as they can. If one or two happen to get past you, we'll handle them."

Atlas bowed. "Understood. The will of the Planet be done. You can…"

Atlas stopped when he noticed his master's gaze averted to the sky. "What is it?"

Cyrus peered out towards the night sky for a few seconds before looking down and smiling. He started to laugh for no apparent reason as he stated, "It seems our comrades missed something at the assault on Fort Condor…"

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"All right kids, listen up!" Cid's voice said over the intercom of the _Shera _as Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Yuffie, Red, and Vincent stood on the outer deck. "We're over Nibelheim, and the WRO will be engaging the Repentant at the front gates in a few minutes. Now's your chance to jump down and catch those sons-of-bitches with their pants below their asses! Cloud, you take care and beat that bastard Cyrus's ass for me!"

Cloud nodded as he ran towards the edge of the airship and jumped into the darkness. He was followed closely by his friends as they plummeted towards Nibelheim. One by one, the members of AVALANCHE pulled the ripcords on their backpacks and releasing their parachutes. They gently glided down in the area surrounding Shinra Manor as the WRO began its assault. Cloud was first to touch ground as he quickly freed himself from his parachute and moved to regroup with his friends. Once everyone was safe and on the ground, Cloud led them around the outside of Shinra Manor towards the Mt. Nibel path.

There, standing in the mouth of the path with three other Repentant, stood a tall man with black hair wearing a grey overcoat. He was adjusting his glasses while tapping his left shoulder with the cane he carried. The look he shot at Cloud was one of arrogance and ego as he gave the spiky-haired warrior a wicked smile.

"Cyrus!" Cloud shouted as he and his friends readied their weapons. "This ends now!"

"Cloud Strife, it's so nice to finally meet you face-to-face!" Cyrus replied facetiously. "However, I have an appointment with destiny that I can't miss, so I must bid you goodbye until next we meet in the afterlife!"

Cyrus and his allies started running towards Mt. Nibel as Cloud started to give chase. His path was blocked by two Repentant: one looking like a living skeleton and the other built like the mountain that towered over Nibelheim. The smaller man stepped forward and removed two automatic pistols from the holsters strapped to his back as he quietly said:

"Cloud Strife. It is the will of Master Cyrus that you and your comrades are to be eliminated. I am Saion, third lieutenant of the Repentant…and I will be your reaper."

"The work of the Repentant…our holy task…it must be completed," the large man added as he produced a five-foot diameter mythril shield and fastened it to his right arm. "I am Atlas, second lieutenant of the Repentant, and I will crush you in the name of Master Cyrus and the Planet."

As the two Repentant commanders readied themselves, Vincent stepped forward and drew Cerberus from its holster and pointed it at the man called Saion. "Cloud, go on ahead. I'll hold these two off."

"Not alone, coffin-stuffer!" Barret shouted as he aimed Ungarmax at Atlas. "Can't let ya do it all by yourself, damn it! Cloud, me and Vincent'll handle these two jackasses. Find Cyrus and whup his ass good! For me and Marlene, got it?!"

Cloud nodded. As much as he would've like to help Vincent and Barret, he knew what his job was. He motioned for Tifa, Yuffie, and Red to follow him towards the mountain path as Saion tried to stop them.

As the Repentant gunner attempted to get a shot at Cloud, Vincent, like a bolt of red lightning, blocked his line of fire with his body and instantly pulled Cerberus's trigger. Saion dodged the shot and dashed towards Shinra Manor. Upon realizing that Cloud and the others were gone, turned his attention to his red-cloaked adversary.

"Very well, Vincent Valentine," Saion said gravely. "I will reap your soul first. Let us see if you are strong enough to stand against me without Chaos to lend you strength."

Vincent didn't say a word as he continued pointing Cerberus at his opponent. He took one glance over to where Barret and the hulking Repentant were squaring off. Barret looked confident enough as Vincent returned his attention to the matter at hand. In Vincent's mind, it didn't matter who won this duel of theirs, so long as Cyrus was stopped.

"_But still…no reason to die today," _Vincent thought as both he and Saion opened fire.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Author's Notes:**

**Woot, woot! The epic clash between the Repentant and AVALANCHE...and the WRO as well. But who cares about them?**

**To all the Cid fans out there (of which I'm one), don't worry...he'll be getting in on the action eventually in his own way. Besides, would Cid Highwind WILLINGLY avoid a fight?**

**(Insert joke here) Review!**

**Later,**

**"The Exile" Cyrus Truth**


	16. Chapter 16

Cid was standing on the bridge of his airship, somewhat irritated that he couldn't be down on the ground helping his friends fight the Repentant. Still, Cid understood that having an eye in the sky and relaying tactical information was vital to the WRO commanders in the field. While it wasn't nearly as glamorous or as manly as actually fighting, Cid was determined to do his job well.

Reeve, who was sitting at one of the _Shera's _navigation terminals, looked up toward Cid at the helm. He noticed Cid's frustration and spoke up. "Cid, I know this isn't the kind of work you want to do when there's a battle going on. But we need the _Shera _for surveillance and…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Cid interrupted. "A captain can't be leaving his ship in the middle of a shitstorm. Just wish I could do more than sit up with my thumb up my ass and relay troop movements. Damn it anyway…"

Cid took a cigarette out of his coat pocket and lit it. He started smoking as he asked, "So, our boys kicking Repentant ass or not?"

Reeve nodded. "WRO troops have breached the front gates. They're being met with resistance from both gunners and melee combatants. However, we managed to disable most of their mech support in the initial assault, so now's it's a matter of manpower. The Repentant are putting up a hell of a fight, but…"

Reeve's sentence trailed off, but Cid didn't need to ask him to finish. The Repentant may be zealots, but there wasn't any way all of them (if any) had anything resembling military training. Reeve estimated that there close to a thousand Repentant camped out in Nibelheim, but the WRO was attacking with twice as many soldiers…soldiers who were trained in combat and military-style precision. It was a matter of when, not if, the Repentant lines would be completely broken and destroyed.

Cid swore under his breath as he took another puff of his cigarette. There was no doubt in his mind that Cyrus knew that his followers wouldn't stand a chance against a concentrated assault from the WRO. Yet, he somehow twisted them into becoming martyrs for his cause, and sent them to their deaths all in the name of "penance." Cid knew that they had to fight the Repentant, but it still didn't seem right.

"Captain! We've got incoming hostiles from Mt. Nibel! Off the bow!"

Cid let his thoughts of the battle below go as he turned his attention towards the _Shera's _main viewport. The lights from the airship showed Cid what his subordinate was yelling about: a flock of zuus and dragons heading directly from the mountains to Nibelheim. There were close to two dozen of the aerial monsters, and they were flying too close together to be just passing by.

"Son of a bitch!" Cid shouted. "That piece of shit Cyrus must've used the rest of those Shinra control disks. That's a lot of fucking monsters!"

"Cid, if those monsters land, our casualties are going to be a lot more severe," Reeve pointed out.

"For fuck's sake, Reeve! You don't think I know that?! All right, jackasses…looks like we get to do more than just sit up here and play spectators. I'm going to line up our starboard side with those monsters. Prep the rockets, machine guns…hell, if you numbskulls got some rocks to toss at them, get your throwing arms warmed up! We're blasting these bastards out of the sky before they get to our boys on the ground. Am I understood, dipshits?!"

"Aye, aye, Captain!" the _Shera's_crew responded as they worked on getting the airship's weapons operational. Cid smirked as he finished his cigarette and turned the wheel to the left. As good a spearman as Cid was, there was nothing like the feeling of being the captain of an airship in the middle of a battle. It had been a long time since Cid had participated in a good old-fashioned dogfight, and he was not going to lose this one against a bunch of stupid beasts.

"_Looks like Cloud and the others aren't going to get all the glory this time," _Cid thought as he gave his gunners the signal to unleash hell upon the monster swarm.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Vincent and Saion had somehow made their way onto the roofs of Nibelheim's houses as their duel escalated. Their first exchanges were little more than just feeling one another out, testing each other's abilities. Once they were satisfied with the knowledge of one another's skills, the red-cloaked phantom and his skeletal adversary actually began to actively try and kill one another.

As a result of the constant vaulting and dodging of gunfire, Vincent and Saion found themselves on the rooftops, the battle between the Repentant and the WRO acting as a background to their showdown. Vincent had taken the offensive, methodically firing Cerberus as Saion jumped from roof to roof and returning fire with his pistols. Vincent, in turn, swerved from right to left on the roof he was currently perched on, deftly managing to keep his footing as he reloaded and tracked his foe.

However, Saion was too fast for Vincent to keep up. Despite the Repentant's meager frame, he possessed some means of moving faster than any normal human could manage. As Vincent continued to fire, hoping to land at least one of his shots, he noticed a familiar glow coming from Saion's right arm.

"Materia," Vincent muttered angrily. He felt foolish for not realizing that this Repentant lieutenant would have been using materia to supplement his power. Vincent himself rarely used materia after the battle with Sephiroth, but he suddenly found himself wishing he had some equipped right now. It was becoming next to impossible for Vincent to keep up with Saion.

Saion must have noticed this, as he quickly stopped his rooftop dashing and stood still right across the street from Vincent. Vincent was confused by the sudden change in Saion's tactics, but he decided to take advantage and aimed Cerberus directly at the Repentant's head. Saion responded with a distinctive green glow from his right arm, which manifested itself in the form of a level three Bolt spell. The lightning bolt coursed through the night air and hit Vincent directly in his chest. The excruciating pain coupled with the smell of burning clothing and seared flesh was enough to knock Vincent off his feet. He would have slid off the roof he was standing on it not for his metallic gauntlet digging into the shingles, stopping him from plummeting into the conflict below.

Saion leapt across the street and stood over Vincent as he hung onto the edge of the roof. The Repentant assassin loomed over Vincent as he plainly explained:

"Vincent Valentine…I see that the rumors of Chaos returning to the Planet along with Omega were true. Were you still the vessel for the Chaos Gene, you would have put up a much better fight, and perhaps you may have even bested me. Without Chaos, you are nothing more than the remnant of one of Hojo's twisted projects."

Saion raised his right arm as the materia he had merged with began glowing. "I was blessed with the power and knowledge of the Planet, bestowed upon me by my master Cyrus Thresher. My skills, augmented with the materia merged in my body make me superior to you. I have become a living weapon…and you are nothing more than flesh and blood and the inherent weakness of humanity."

Despite the fact that Saion was lording over him as he hung over a mass of carnage and devastation, Vincent couldn't help but betray a wire-thin smile. Dark energy started to swirl around him as he pulled himself up and faced Saion eye-to-eye.

Saion's face didn't show it, but his voice possessed a subtle tone of confusion. The Repentant pointed one of his pistols at Vincent's head as he asked, "What is this? This power…it can't be Chaos!"

"Chaos?" Vincent mused. "No, not Chaos. That demon returned to the Planet after the fall of Omega Weapon. However, it seems that the Repentant didn't do enough research on their adversaries. My body is host to another demon…one that is **begging **me to come out. The manifestation of my sins..."

The dark energy that permeated from Vincent began to swirl into a typhoon around the former Turk as his body began to twist and contort. After a few seconds, the dark energy dissipated, revealing a demon with the face of a wolf, the horns of a behemoth, and sharp claws on its hands and feet. The black hair Vincent once had had become a spiky mess of silver that served as this demon's mane. This demon's body was a chiseled mass of black and dark-grey hide, and Vincent's red cloak served as the demon's loincloth.

This demon was the long extinct beast of legend…the Galian Beast.

All traces of Vincent Valentine's cool and collected personality were now replaced by a primal urge to kill. That was exactly what the Galian Beast had in mind as he charged Saion with an otherworldly speed and determination. Saion quickly opened fire, but he only managed to graze the beast's shoulder. The demon ignored the injury as he grabbed a hold of Saion's neck and began squeezing the life out of the Repentant gunman. Saion fought to release the Galian Beast's chokehold, but found that the beast's grip similar to that of a vise. Saion, out of desperation, grabbed his pistol and managed to shoot his adversary in the foot. The Galian Beast released its grip as it howled in pain. Saion took advantage of this, rising to his feet and pointed both pistols at the demon's head.

But it was all for naught. The now enraged Galian Beast swiped at Saion's hands, knocking both pistols out of his hands. The beast then proceeded to land blows and slashes as if he were under a Berserk spell. The persistent beating was more than Saion's materia-enhanced body could handle as one final blow drove the bloodied body of the Repentant lieutenant through the roof and second floor of the house the two were battling on top of. Saion fell hard on the floor as the Galian Beast howled triumphantly.

As Saion began spitting up blood, the Galian Beast reared his head back and unleashed a powerful flare spell. The members of AVALANCHE dubbed it the "Beast Flare" and the name was certainly appropriate. The magical force of the Galian Beast's flare tore Saion's already mangled body apart and began to turn the Repentant into ash. Saion, to his credit, never screamed out in pain as the flare subsided, leaving him nothing more than ashes.

The Galian Beast jumped through the hole in the roof as the dark energy from earlier returned to change the beast back into his host. What landed beside where Saion used to be was Vincent Valentine, who took one look at the Repentant's charred remains as well as the structural damage done to the house by the Galian Beast's flare. He shook the dust off his cloak, holstered Cerberus, and walked slowly out the front door, never once looking back.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"C'mon, you sumbitch! Eat it! EAT IT!" Barret shouted as he continued to unleash rounds and rounds of ammunition from his gun-arm Ungarmax into the shield of the Repentant who called himself "Atlas." The shield, however, was large enough to protect this massive man's vitals and was somehow sturdy enough to withstand the hailstorm of bullets. Barret was getting more and more frustrated by his opponent's defensive strategy…something that Atlas had noticed.

"What's the matter?" Atlas mockingly asked as he continued to block Barret's fire. "I thought that you were planning on stopping me? It seems to me that all you are accomplishing is scratching my shield!"

"Shut the hell up! I'm just gettin' warmed up!" Barret retorted as he continued his onslaught. After two minutes of trying to shoot past Atlas's shield, Barret's gun-arm ran out of ammo. Atlas smiled from behind his shield as his opponent struggled to reload.

"My turn," Atlas declared as he lowered his guard and quickly ran over to Barret. The Repentant monolith swung his right arm in a wide arc, hitting Barret square in the chest with the edge of his shield. Barret felt the wind get knocked out of him as he struggled to get back on his feet. Atlas continued the pummeling, smashing his shield into the arms and legs of the former AVALANCHE leader. He allowed Barret to stand before dealing a vicious uppercut that sent Barret flying back about six feet.

To Atlas's surprise, Barret staggered back to his feet and finished reloading his gun-arm. "I'm impressed, Mr. Wallace. A normal man would've been broken in half after being hit by my shield."

"Yeah, well…I ain't no ordinary man, fool!" Barret confidently boasted before coughing up blood. Despite his bravado, Barret was in bad shape. He was fairly certain that the Repentant lieutenant had managed to fracture some of his ribs and even break his left arm. Barret knew he didn't have long before his injuries would finish him off…that is, if Atlas didn't do it before then.

"Yield, traitor," Atlas ordered as he settled into his defensive stance. "You can't get past my shield, and you can't stand against me in your condition. You're finished…so make your transition to the Lifestream easier and surrender to me. I promise to make your death quick and painless."

"Well, ain't you just being all charitable?" Barret said as he continued gasping for air. He then looked up and flashed Atlas a toothy grin. "But I ain't gettin' off this train just yet! I got a little girl countin' on her daddy to save the world for her. I ain't about to let her pay for my mistakes, so I'm gonna keep on fightin' 'til I can't fight no more!

"Of course, you gotta be a damned fool for not figuring out what I've doin' this whole fight! I know my baby's bullets ain't strong enough to get past that shield of yours…but they ARE strong enough to weaken that piece of scrap enough for me to shatter it with this!"

Barret pointed Ungarmax at Atlas's shield as he braced himself for another leaden barrage. However, Barret had something else in mind, as a powerful energy sphere formed at the tip of gun-arm. It swelled to the size of a basketball and pulsed with enough power to affect Barret's aim. Barret compensated by holding his right arm with his left as he shouted, "BIG SHOT!"

The energy sphere rocketed towards Atlas and hit the Repentant's shield dead center. The sphere twisted into the mythril, and to Atlas's horror it actually began to crack it where the first round of bullets had impacted. The shield continued to buckle under the force of the Big Shot until it finally gave in and shattered into several pieces. Atlas screamed in pain as some of the Big Shot's residual energy had managed to seep through, singing the flesh on his right arm as pieces of his broken shield imbedded themselves into his skin.

Atlas's grey eyes were filled with rage as he stared down Barret Wallace, his gun-arm still smoking from launching that brutal attack. The Repentant shouted at the top of his lungs, "Damn you, traitor! I will not stop, I will not yield to you. I am Atlas, loyal Repentant, and I will fight for the Planet's salvation!"

Atlas ran as fast as he could towards Barret unarmed. Barret shook his head as he opened fire with Ungarmax. The heavy rounds, now free to hit their target, riddled Atlas's body, cutting through flesh, organs, and bone. Even so, Atlas never stopped moving forward into the bullet storm and was within two feet of reaching Barret as one last bullet found its mark between Atlas's eyes. The look of rage in the Repentant's eyes faded away as he fell to the ground, never to rise again.

Barret exhaled as he too fell to the ground. He was still suffering from his injuries at the hands of Atlas, and he was close to blacking out until a crimson-colored figure stood above him and offered Barret his hand.

Barret took it as Vincent helped Barret to his feet and led him to where the WRO had set up a medical outpost. Barret, despite the pain he was in, looked over at Vincent and laughed.

"Damn…if I knew that skinny bastard was so easy, I'd of switched places with you!"

"I'll keep that in mind," Vincent said plainly. "But I have a feeling that Cloud's going to have it a lot harder than either of us."

"Yeah," Barret agreed. "Think Spiky can handle the rest?"

Barret's question was left unanswered. Vincent didn't say a word either way…

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Author's Notes:**

**Cid's blasting dragons, Vincent takes down Saion, and Barret pummels Atlas...what can I possibly do for an encore? INCREASE THE EPICNESS!**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's longer than some of my more recent chapters, and I think the length is about right for most of the rest of the chapters. Hope I did a good enough job fleshing out the fights, because these are probably the easiest ones that I have to do.**

**The only things in life that are certain are death, taxes, and reviews! Well, that last one's only certain when it's Kairi-loves-Sushi (who rocks BTW), but feel free to join in on the fun and let me know if you like the story!**

**Later,**

**"The Exile" Cyrus Truth**


	17. Chapter 17

Reno had just finished off a Repentant swordsman with a jolt from his E-M Rod as his partner Rude fended off another Repentant with a wicked-looking haymaker. While Rufus, Tseng, and Elena were fighting alongside the WRO troopers in their firefight against the Repentant, Reno and Rude kept themselves busy taking on the Repentant's melee combatants. Since the WRO troopers weren't as talented when it came to melee combat, it meant a lot of enemies for Reno and Rude to plow through…something Reno eventually noticed.

"Hey, Rude! Looks like we're earning our money tonight!" Reno shouted over the various sounds of battle as he knocked another Repentant out cold with a blow from his E-M Rod. "Why'd we agree to take on these bastards by ourselves?"

"We didn't," Rude said simply as he cracked two Repentant skulls together. "You just leapt in without asking for backup."

Reno thought about that as he kicked another Repentant to the ground and shocked him unconscious. "Oh, yeah…didn't think that one through, did I?"

"You never do," Rude stated as he blocked a Repentant's sword and drove his knee into his attacker's torso.

"And that's why you love me, right?" Reno playfully retorted.

Rude didn't respond to that…one of that particular Turk's signature silent treatments. Reno laughed as he swiped at a pair of Repentant with his E-M Rod. "So, partner…had a chat with that Yuffie chick on our trip back from the Forgotten City. Gotta say, she's a lot cuter than I last remember. You think I got a chance with her?"

Rude grunted as he backhanded a Repentant swordsman and knocked another one out with a right jab. "Maybe. Godo would probably turn you into a eunuch if you tried, though."

"Ouch…well, nothing fun's ever easy, I guess," Reno mused as he finished off another Repentant with a swift spin kick. Another dozen Repentant combatants were rushing in to aid their comrades against the two Turks.

Reno gave Rude a thumbs-up, and Rude responded with his signature silent nod. The two longtime partners, co-workers, and friends leapt at the rushing mob, ready to show the Repentant what it meant to fight the Turks.

"_At this rate, we'll be boozing by midnight," _Reno thought hopefully as he started swinging his E-M Rod into the angry throng of Repentant.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Repentant had aligned the path up to Mt. Nibel with lanterns and torches, making it easier for Cloud, Tifa, Yuffie, and Red to navigate the treacherous terrain. They were unable to see Cyrus up ahead in spite of the extra illumination, but Cloud and Tifa knew this mountain well enough to figure out what path the Repentant leader would need to take to reach the Mako reactor. They were also fortunate enough to have not run into any of the mountain's unique monsters as of yet, although they did have to step over the freshly-killed corpses of kyuvilduns and sonic speeds at regular intervals. Apparently, the Repentant party ahead of them had more trouble with the monsters than they did.

"_Works for me," _Cloud thought as he continued running up the mountain path. He and his friends made it to one of the major bends that led into the Nibel Mountains proper. He would have made the turn had not Yuffie shouted at him to stop.

"What is it?" Cloud asked.

Yuffie sighed as if she had to explain something to a little child. Instead of saying why, she tossed a smaller shuriken at the ground about a foot away from where Cloud was standing. To everyone's surprise, the shuriken cut a near-invisible tripwire. A few seconds later, two explosions reverberated on the sides of the two small mountains on either side of the Mt. Nibel Mountain Path, causing rubble to collapse in front of the party.

"Wow…good eye, Yuffie," Tifa remarked.

"Wutanese paper bombs," Yuffie quipped. "You stick 'em to whatever you want to go 'BOOM!' and use the tripwire as a detonator of sorts. It's pretty complicated, but I've seen enough of them to spot them at a distance. Pretty clever…but I wonder who set it?"

"I did."

Cloud and company quickly dropped into their battle stances as the source of the mysterious voice vaulted over the freshly-made rubble pile and landed on the path in front of them. She wore the emblem of the Repentant and carried a pair of steel fans. Her voice was calm and timid at the same time as she said, "I am Rei, fourth lieutenant of the Repentant. Our orders were to eliminate whoever managed to get past Atlas and Saion."

"You said 'our orders,'" Red noted. "You're not alone, are you?"

"Very perceptive, beast!" a wicked voice shouted at the top of the pile of rubble. Another Repentant joined Rei on the ground after leaping off the top of the pile. Unlike her counterpart, this Repentant looked and sounded more like a feral beast than a zealot looking for salvation. She wore a pair of metal claws similar to the one Vincent wore on his left arm. Her wild and untamed hair was dyed green and she never stopped swaying in place as she continued, "I'm Alanye, fifth lieutenant of the Repentant…and I'm here for your blood. Who wants to be first?"

Cloud was going for his sword as Yuffie and Red stepped out in front to face the two Repentant. "Cloud!" Yuffie shouted, "Red and I will handle these two. You have to get to Cyrus before he gets to the reactor!"

"Don't worry," Red added. "We'll be fine. Get going…stop Cyrus!"

Cloud let go of his sword's hilt as he nodded. "Tifa, let's go. This isn't our fight."

Tifa didn't like it, but she understood. Time spent fighting here gave Cyrus more time to call forth the power of the Clear Materia. She nodded as both she and Cloud headed past Rei and Alanye and started climbing up the rubble pile.

"No! I won't let you pass!" Rei exclaimed as she tossed one of her fans at Cloud. The fan would have sliced through Cloud's left leg had it not been blocked by Yuffie's main shuriken.

"Nice try," Yuffie said as her shuriken returned to her hand. "But you're fighting me!"

Rei shook her head in frustration. "No, no…Master Cyrus ordered us to stop all trespassers. This isn't right! Master Cyrus is going to be displeased with me again…"

"Shut up, Rei!" Alanye snapped. "If you're so worried about being punished again, then run away like a baby cactuar! Otherwise, focus on your opponent, kill her, and then go after Strife and Lockhart. That's what I planned on doing, anyway."

Rei looked up and noticed that Cloud and Tifa had already climbed over the rubble pile. She sighed and lowered her shoulders in defeat as she cast a glare at Yuffie. "All right, Alanye. I'll deal with the princess of Wutai…you handle the beast. I swear on my life that I will not disobey Master Cyrus again."

Rei turned her full attention to Yuffie and dropped into a ready stance. Alanye followed suit against Red XIII. Yuffie was nervous at having to fight a Repentant lieutenant one-on-one, and she was angry that she wouldn't get to be there for the confrontation against Cyrus. Still, she knew that she and Red did the right thing holding these two females off and letting Cloud and Tifa continue the chase.

"_Make sure you hurt that bastard," _Yuffie thought with clenched teeth as she gave her shuriken a toss at the Repentant called Rei.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Author's Notes:**

**You guys detecting a pattern here? A bit cliche, I know...but it works well. Besides, you never actually see most of FFVII's main cast of characters in one-on-one fights with worthy opponents, so I decided to give them a brief shot at the limelight.**

**Anyway, next chapter: Alanye verses Red XIII, Rei verses Yuffie. Live, right here! (Call you local Internet provider for details)**

**Sorry for the short chapter, but needed this in the story and didn't want to combine it with Chapter 18. So, yeah...pretty much.**

**It is your duty as a citizen of the Internet to leave me a review letting me know whether I kick ass or get my ass kicked! Fulfill that obligation and do it with pride!**

**Thanks,**

**"The Exile" Cyrus Truth**


	18. Chapter 18

"What do you see, Nimuria?" Cyrus asked as he waited patiently at the rope bridge connecting the Mt. Nibel Mountain Path with the mountain that held the Nibel Reactor. Nimuria was a few yards away, perched up on a boulder as she peered back down the path with a pair of night-vision binoculars.

"Rei's trap was set off intentionally by Yuffie Kisaragi," Nimuria reported. "Rei and Alanye engaged the enemy, but Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart managed to bypass our comrades. They are moving quickly up the path and will reach us in a matter of minutes."

"Damn," Cyrus swore as Nimuria jumped down from her perch and rejoined her master. "I was hoping our comrades would be able to hold them off a little better than they have. Knowing our enemies' abilities and their accomplishments, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

"Well, no sense in waiting for them to catch up. Let's make for the reactor."

Nimuria's head hung low as she reached for her daggers. "No…I fear this is where we part ways."

"What do you mean, Nimuria?" Cyrus asked, confused.

"If Strife and Lockhart catch up to you, they will attempt to kill you before you can complete our divine task. That is something I cannot allow. I will remain behind and stall them as best as I can. You must press on and release the power of the Clear Materia…and save the Planet."

Cyrus stood there, his eyes locked with those of his first lieutenant. He knew that she was right: if the traitors caught him before he made it to the Nibel Reactor, all the sacrifices of the Repentant would be for naught, and Cyrus and his Collective would never achieve forgiveness. Still, it was his deepest wish that Nimuria could have stood beside him in his moment of triumph. After all they had endured at the hands of humanity's cruelty, he wanted her last memory to be the ushering in of the new utopia.

Cyrus's angst overtook him as he embraced Nimuria and met her lips with his own. Passion, anger, sadness, and regret all flooded between the two Repentant as they drank one another in. After a few seconds, Cyrus released his kiss as he looked into the dark blue eyes of the only woman he'd ever cared for and quietly said, "Thank you, my angel. The will of the Planet be done."

Cyrus broke the embrace as he rushed across the bridge towards the winding caverns of Mt. Nibel. Nimuria gazed at the man she had devoted her life and soul to disappear into the catacombs towards his final destination.

"The will of the Planet?" Nimuria quietly mused. "No, not the Planet. Your will is all that ever mattered to me. Master…I will hold back the traitors and join you once again in the Lifestream. Thank you for opening my eyes…"

Nimuria fought back a tear as she unsheathed her daggers and waited at her end of the bridge. She waited patiently for Strife and Lockhart as the taste of Cyrus's lips still lingered on her own.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Before we get back down to business, I got something to ask you!" Yuffie demanded as she took a pause in her battle with Rei.

Rei panted as she struggled to keep standing. The battle between her and the ninja had been a fast-paced one, with both fighters suffering from various lacerations from one another's throwing weapons. Yuffie had three on her right arm and two on either of her legs; Rei had several on her back, including one very deep one that kept bleeding through her uniform. Despite her fear of Cyrus's wrath, she took advantage of the break and replied, "I think I know what it is…and yes, I am originally from Wutai."

"Oh, yeah? Then what are you doing helping that creep Cyrus? A Wutai warrior is a proud defender of her home and people, and you choose to be some psycho's lapdog? You bring shame to Da-Chao and Leviathan!"

Rei's normally timid demeanor quickly turned into one of rage as she rushed Yuffie with a pair of kunai knives. She continued to slash at Yuffie as the ninja retreated into a small canyon with several rocky ridges along the sides.

"Do not insult Master Cyrus, you little whelp!" Rei shouted as she leapt into the air. "Master Cyrus took me in when my own kindred abandoned me, and he gave me a home and a purpose. If he willed it, I would die for him. I will most certainly kill the princess of Wutai to prove my worth as a Repentant!"

Rei tossed the two kunai as Yuffie jumped up to one of the stone outcroppings. She grabbed a trio of smaller shuriken and aimed for the airborne Repentant. A small yellow light glowed from Rei's left arm as she spun in mid-air to dodge the shuriken, catch them with her left hand, and toss them back.

"_Damn it! A Sense materia!" _Yuffie thought bitterly as she jumped to another one of the canyon's ledges. A Sense materia normally allowed its user to scan their opponent for their strengths and weaknesses, but a fully-mastered one fused with its user could increase his or her ability to predict their opponent's attacks and develop a counter. Yuffie realized that as long as Rei could see her, the Repentant would be able to counter just about everything she'd throw at her.

"_See…wait! That might work!" _Yuffie realized with a slight grin. She dodged another attack from Rei's fans as she pulled a smoke bomb from her tool pouch. Yuffie gave the bomb a toss and ruptured it with a kunai, setting the grenade off. A large cloud of smoke filled the dimly-lit canyon as Rei found herself surrounded by haze.

"You think this will stop me from killing you, my lady?" Rei asked with trepidation in her voice as she held on tightly to her combat fans. She tried to pierce through the smoke with the Sense materia, but it did no good. All she could see were shadows dancing in the haze, and she was unable to tell which one of them belonged to Yuffie. She was about to try the Sense materia again when a kunai flew past her head and landed in the ground by her left foot.

"Ha! It seems you need some practice with your aim, princess!" Rei boasted as she focused again on maximizing the power of the Sense materia. She was getting close to finding Yuffie when the ninja's voice called out from beyond the smoke.

"The first lesson they teach you when training in the ninja arts is to always keep your true aims hidden. You think I missed? Think again!"

Rei was confused until she heard what sounded like a lit cannon fuse. She looked down where Yuffie's apparent errant kunai landed and realized that it wasn't alone. There, tied around the handle of the knife, was a live paper bomb. Rei panicked and started to run, but it was too late. The paper bomb exploded and sent Rei flying out of the smoke and directly into one of the canyon walls. Rei felt bones break and tendons snap as she fell to the ground in a heap. Yuffie leapt down from her perch and stood in front of the Repentant, her heavy shuriken in hand and ready to be unleashed.

Rei couldn't move, let alone utilize the materia fused with her. "Finish me. I've failed my master, and I deserve to die."

Yuffie stood there for a couple of seconds before lowering her shuriken and refastening it to her back. "I'm not a murderer. Unlike your master, I don't kill those who can't defend themselves. I'm outta here."

Yuffie turned her back on the Repentant and started to walk away. Rei tried to move to attack her, but found that her legs refused to cooperate. "No…I will not suffer my master's wrath again. My punishment…my escape…IS DEATH!"

Yuffie turned around in an instant only to watch Rei slit her own throat with one of her steel fans. The cut hemorrhaged as Rei choked on her own blood before giving up her soul to the Planet. Yuffie stood in horror at the sight of Rei's _seppuku _and wondered what sort of man Cyrus truly was to inspire such loyalty and fear in her subordinates.

Out in the distance, the sound of Red's howling broke Yuffie out of her trance. Yuffie shook off the terror she felt as she raced out of the canyon to find her friend. She stole one last glance at Rei's body to feel a bit of sorry as she turned her attention to locating Red XIII.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, Red XIII had spent the first few minutes circling his opponent, something the Repentant Alanye mimicked. She had a sadistic smile on her face and a bloodthirsty look in her eyes as she continued to slowly stalk Red on the mountain path.

"You said your name was Alanye, correct? And that you were the Repentant's fifth lieutenant?" Red asked as he stopped pacing.

"You have very good ears, lovely beast," Alanye said in a wicked tone. "What of it?"

"Your rank…is it based on your abilities in combat?"

Alanye cackled at that notion. "Don't be ridiculous! Our rank only signifies our ability to lead the Repentant should Cyrus be killed. Our strength only determined that we become lieutenants…not how we were ranked. The Repentant foolishly see strength as only one tool, and a relatively unimportant one at that. To the Collective, strength is merely a means to complete one's tasks."

"I noticed you didn't address Cyrus as 'Master' like your companions," Red noted.

Alanye licked her left gauntlet as she continued to smile. "Very observant. I'm what you might call the black sheep of the Repentant. I care little for Cyrus's goals and aspirations…I'm only here to kill. As long as Cyrus can find me interesting opponents, I could care less about what happens to humanity or the Planet."

Red stood in shock at Alanye's cavalier attitude. "You enjoy slaughter? You monster!"

"Flattery will not get you any mercy from me, beast. I shed my humanity years ago to obtain strength. I've learned the monsters' ways of fighting, and have not fought a human who could be considered my equal. That is why I find you so…intriguing."

Alanye dropped on all fours like some wild animal as she continued, "You are not human, but yet sentient enough to possibly be a challenge for me. You fight like the monsters I've tried so hard to emulate, and I so look forward to seeing how well I've learned."

In a flash, Alanye rushed Red on all fours and started to slash at the guardian with her claws. Red's instincts kicked in as he jumped to the right to avoid Alanye's attack. Alanye quickly adjusted as she pounced again at Red, this time managing to dig her right claw into Red's right fore leg. Red howled in pain as he dug his teeth into his attacker's arm and found blood. Alanye didn't screech in agony, but the injury was enough to force her back. She stopped to wipe the blood with her left claw and lap it from her fingers with her tongue.

"Ah, my own blood. It's been a while since I've tasted it," Alanye said in an almost euphoric voice. She stood up as her left arm began to glow. "Allow me to grant you the same pleasure, dear beast."

A void formed at the tip of Alanye's left hand as she pointed it at Red. A moment later, a flood of water emerged from the void and flowed over Red, attempting to drown him.

"_Aqualung!" _Red realized as he did a midair spin-move to force the water to dissipate. Alanye used the scattered water as a cover as she rushed in again and dug her claws into Red's rear haunches. Alanye then spun Red in the air and slammed him into the ground hard. Red lied motionless, but still conscious as Alanye slithered on top of him and brought her face within inches of Red's snout.

"You are truly magnificent…if somewhat of a disappointment. Too bad this little dance of ours has to end so soon," Alanye purred as she gave Red a small kiss on his nose followed by a lick from her tongue. Red's skin crawled in disgust as he tried to free himself.

"What? Not interested in a mate? I would think that, as a member of a dying species, you'd be a little more open-minded," Alanye cooed wickedly.

Red smirked. "Sorry, I'm not interesting in a monster for a mate. And I dislike most two-legged things, anyway…"

Red used his hind legs and pushed Alanye off and over to the other side of the path, where at the edge there was a sheer drop directly to the bottom. Alanye tried to drop back into her battle stance, but Red was ready for that. He rushed the Repentant as streams of blue-green energy followed him, a technique he learned from his father Seto called Sled Fang. Red rammed his entire mass into Alanye as the energy trails added additional force. Alanye was forced back towards and over the edge, and would have fallen if not for her claws digging into the side of the mountain path.

Red gingerly walked over to the edge and surprisingly saw Alanye laughing maniacally. She looked up at Red and declared, "Well done! I suppose a beast does know how to fight like one better than I ever will after all…"

"Wrong," Red corrected as he shook his head. "I am no beast. I am Nanaki, son of Seto and defender of Cosmo Canyon. I fight for a reason beyond savage primal instincts. When it comes to you or me, the only beast here is you."

Alanye closed her eyes and smiled as she released her grip and voluntarily plummeted into the abyss below. Red stood there in awe at what a strange human this female was and wondered if Cyrus wasn't somewhat correct in his assessment of human nature.

"No," Red muttered to himself. "Humans are weak…but they can learn from their mistakes. They deserve the chance to do so."

"Red!" Yuffie's voices echoed over the hills. "You okay, buddy?"

"Yes, Yuffie, I'm fine. A bit mangled, but alive. Come, I need your help in treating my injuries. Cloud and Tifa will need our help, I'm sure."

"Gotcha! Be there in a jiffy!"

Red relaxed and lied down on the mountain path as he waited for Yuffie. Yes, humans were sometimes weak, but they were not without their virtues. As Yuffie, Cloud, and the rest of his friends demonstrated over the years…

Red smiled as he closed his eyes and wagged his tail. Cyrus was misguided and needed to be stopped, and although Red was and would continue to be guardian of Cosmo Canyon he would uphold the values the elders taught and make sure that madman was stopped…

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**Author's Notes:**

**Before anyone says anything...yes, Alanye is CREEPY! She was supposed to be creepy, it's how I designed her character. Hope you like it!**

**Big props to MoriMemento for leaving me a review. Glad you appreciate my story and my dedication to uploading. I do it all for the fans!**

**Reviews, Reviews, the magical words...the more you write, the more it strike a chord! (Lame, I apologize in advance for this joke)**

**Keep in touch!**

**"The Exile" Cyrus Truth**


	19. Chapter 19

"Well, that was hardly entertaining," Rufus stated as he holstered Dark Nation. He and his Turks in concert with the WRO had managed to retake Nibelheim from the Repentant. There were still pockets of resistance from the zealots in several alleyways and such, but for the most part the battle was over. The Repentant fought like men and women possessed, but they lacked the military skill to hold out for very long. Rufus ran his hand through his hair as he surveyed the extensive damage to the once-quaint hamlet.

A few seconds later, Rufus walked over to where the town's well once stood and met with his Turks. Tseng and Elena's uniforms were a bit dirty from battle, but were nonetheless unharmed. Reno and Rude, however, each had several small lacerations at various points on their bodies. Their uniforms were completely trashed…or in Reno's case, even more trashed than usual. Rufus examined the two partners and laughed.

"Reno, Rude…you two look like hell. Did you fall asleep halfway through the battle? I can't think of any other reason why these amateurs would've ever actually gotten to you."

"Yeah, well…even a blind mu gets lucky sometimes, Mr. President," Reno explained sheepishly. "So, I take it the fight's over?"

"Damn straight!" Elena said excitedly. "The President, Tseng, and I really gave it to those Repentant creeps. Didn't even get hit once! Looks like you two are losing your touch."

"…Elena…" Rude muttered. "Shut up."

"You tell her, partner!" Reno piped up. "So, does this mean we can grab a drink now?"

"Not yet," Tseng calmly stated. "Cyrus Thresher still needs to be dealt with. We have reports that he fled up the mountain, and Cloud and his companions are pursuing him en haste."

"Well then, we'd best be moving out," Rufus smugly stated. "We can't let Cloud get all the glory on this mission."

"We can't?" Reno pleadingly asked...which only garnered him a smack from Elena. "Yeowch! Fine, fine, let's get this over with. Rude old pal, looks like we aren't gonna clock out just yet."

"…Sucks to be us tonight."

Reno, despite the pain and soreness that racked his body, had to laugh at his partner's summation of their situation. Reno took a glance up the Nibel Mountain Path as he followed Rufus and the others as closely as he could.

"_Here's hoping we're not climbing this rock just to get a better view of Armageddon," _Reno mused as the Turks started to quicken their pace.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Cloud and Tifa continued to press forward through the mountain path toward the Nibel Reactor. The blonde warrior ignored the chilly mountain temperatures as best he could as he motioned for Tifa to get closer to him. When Tifa was standing next to him, he pointed out the rope bridge that led from the main mountain chain to the reactor.

"Almost there…" Cloud said as he took a minute to catch his breath.

"Yeah," Tifa agreed as she too decided to take a couple seconds for a breather. "Brings back memories, doesn't it?"

Cloud was a little surprised by Tifa's observation. "It sure does…just wish the majority of them were good ones."

"Well, at least you have those memories," Tifa pointed out. "Even if they're painful, they're still yours and mine, right?"

"This coming from the woman who told me to choose between my memories or my family? Wonders never cease…"

"Hey!" Tifa exclaimed as she gave Cloud a playful shove in the shoulder. The two looked at one another and, despite the impending doom, laughed a little. Cloud smiled as he said, "We better get moving. Cyrus still has a good head start."

Tifa smiled that sweet smile of hers and nodded. "Yeah, we better…"

Tifa's voice trailed off as her eyes grew wide. She grabbed Cloud's arm and shouted, "Look out!"

Cloud felt himself being pulled towards the rope bridge as a shadowy figure emerged from behind him wielding a pair of large daggers. The figure would have sliced Cloud's head from his neck in one swipe had Tifa not pulled him to safety. The shadow turned to face its quarry as it said:

"I will not allow you stop my master from achieving reconciliation. I am Nimuria…first lieutenant of the Repentant and angel of death devoted to Cyrus Thresher. You who have threaten my master, prepare to taste my blades."

Cloud went for his sword but was stopped by Tifa. "No, Cloud…not now. You have to get to the reactor and stop Cyrus. I'll hold her off here."

"Tifa, wait!" Cloud started to protest before being interrupted by Nimuria declaring, "Neither of you will face my master. I will end both your lives here and now!"

Cloud again went for his sword, but was stopped by Tifa whispering in his ear, "Sorry, Cloud…this is how it has to be."

The blonde warrior felt a thud in his midsection that sent him flying halfway across the bridge. He looked up to see Tifa breaking one of the posts anchoring the bridge to the mountain with a look of determination in her eyes. She shouted, "Run, Cloud! Get to the reactor…stop Cyrus! I'll catch up later. Trust me!"

Cloud didn't have time to argue as the bridge began to fall. He quickly ran across as the ropes and planks that once formed this bridge began to separate and plummet. Cloud made it to the other side with only seconds to spare as the bridge completely collapsed. He looked over to the other side to see Tifa sizing up her opponent as she shot a quick glance back. Her face was a mixture of pride, sorrow, angst, and trust as she gave Cloud a quick wink and nod before refocusing on the Repentant lieutenant.

Cloud lowered his head and muttered to himself, "Tifa…I trust you. I trust you completely. Be safe…we'll see each other again. I promise."

Cloud picked himself up and ran to the nearest cavern. He knew the way to the reactor as well as anyone, and he wasn't about to give up now that Cyrus was so close.

"_Everyone's counting on me…and I'm not going to let them or humanity down. I swear it."_

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**Author's Notes:**

**REALLY short chapter, but I felt it was needed and it serves as a bridge between the one-on-one battles between the Repentant and AVALANCHE and the confrontation between Cyrus and Cloud. And since it was so short, I was able to upload it quicker than I usually do. How cool is that?**

**Next Chapter: Nimuria verses Tifa...and then some.**

**_Reader: Hello, this is your average Fan Fiction reader, how can I take your order?_**

**_Me: Yeah, I'd like a big, juicy Review Burger with Awesome Sauce...and a large soda._**

**Can you complete the order?**

**Later,**

**"The Exile" Cyrus Truth**


	20. Chapter 20

Tifa and Nimuria stood silent as both tensed up in their respective battle stance. Tifa stood firm with her fists up, ready to both strike and defend. Nimuria, on the other hand, held her left dagger behind her back while keeping the right dagger out in front with the blade pointed outwards. Both female warriors stood on the mountain path, neither one willing to make the first move. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Tifa broke the silence by asking:

"So, you aren't willing to back down, are you?"

"A foolish question," Nimuria answered with venom in her voice. "In spite of my failure to keep your comrade from pursuing my master, I will still fight for his dreams and goals. Even if I fall here at your hands, I will gladly die knowing that I helped him punish humanity for its sins and achieve salvation."

"Then we have something in common," Tifa remarked. "Cloud is my friend...the one person I know would stand by me no matter what…the one person I would fight and die for. And if you won't back down, I'll make sure you can't stop Cloud from stopping that lunatic you call a master."

That last comment got a rise out of Nimuria as she rushed Tifa and started slashing away with her daggers. Tifa, remembering her martial arts training, kept bobbing and weaving to avoid getting cut. After a series of slashes, Tifa found an opening and started jabbing and swinging with her fists. And just like Tifa did on her first exchange, Nimuria deftly dodged and blocked all of Tifa's blows until Tifa managed to knock her up against the mountainside with a swift kick to the abdomen.

Tifa tried to take advantage by unleashing a powerful haymaker. Nimuria quickly jumped up into the air as Tifa's fist met stone, resulting in a series of large cracks emanating from the point of impact. Nimuria did a quick somersault in midair and landed behind Tifa, slashing at the fighter's back with her daggers and leaving a pair of crisscrossing gashes.

Tifa grunted in pain as she turned around and connected with the left side of Nimuria's head with a backhand swing. The force knocked Nimuria to the ground as Tifa moved to capitalize with a quick heel drop. Nimuria rolled out of the way and quickly countered with slashes to Tifa's left calf, nearly severing the Achilles tendon.

As the blood started to flow from her most recent wound, Tifa backed off and grabbed her calf to assess the damage and stop the bleeding. Nimuria didn't give her the chance as she kipped-up and landed a violent roundhouse kick to Tifa's right temple. The force of the kick disoriented Tifa as she dropped to one knee. Nimuria quickly moved around Tifa, knelt down behind her, and held her left dagger to Tifa's throat.

"You said you'd die for that man, didn't you?" Nimuria demanded as she continued to press the knife against Tifa's neck. "Well, it seems that you will be making good on your word, traitor. Do not feel regret, though; once my master has completed his task, you will be reunited with him in the Lifestream."

"To hell with that," Tifa weakly croaked out as she drove the back of her head into Nimuria's skull. The force was enough to force Nimuria to release Tifa as she stumbled to regain her bearings. Tifa remembered the technique that her fighting master Zangan had left for her to discover in Nibelheim four years ago and started collecting energy at the end of her right fist. She rushed the still-woozy Nimuria and planted a punch square in Nimuria's torso.

Tifa looked down and quietly whispered, "Final Heaven…"

The energy that surrounded Tifa's fist immediately exploded into Nimuria, causing severe internal damage and propelling the Repentant hard into the side of the mountain. The force was so great that Nimuria's body created a small crater into the hard rock of Mt. Nibel, breaking every bone in the Repentant's body and killing her instantly.

Nimuria's body fell to the ground in a heap as Tifa tried to catch her breath. Final Heaven was an incredibly powerful technique that only a few could even use without killing themselves. As it was, using Final Heaven took a great deal of energy out of Tifa and always left her feeling exhausted. Tifa shook it off as best she could as she grabbed some bandages from a small first-aid pack she carried.

Once she had managed to patch up her wounds, Tifa then turned her attention towards the Nibel Reactor on the other side of the gorge. Tifa knew a way to get there, but it was much more treacherous and time-consuming path. However, with the bridge destroyed, Tifa didn't have any other options.

Tifa walked gingerly, trying hard not to put too much weight on her injured leg. She limped towards the alternative path with one single thought on her mind:

"_Be strong, Cloud. I'm coming."_

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Through various catacombs, past a vast assortment of strange and vicious monsters, and on the other side of an oddly-placed door, the weary Repentant finally arrived at the Nibel Mako Reactor.

The reactor, long abandoned after Meteorfall, was showing the signs of decay associated with indifference. Reeve and the WRO would have torn the reactor down years ago had the organization not faced more pressing issues like the most recent battles with Deepground. Instead, the reactor continued to stand at the top of Mt. Nibel, locked up so no curious mountain climbers could sneak inside.

However, that was precisely what Cyrus had in mind as he walked up the steps to the reactor's front entranceway and began fiddling with the door's control pad. He had learned many things since being ousted from Shinra, and one of those things was rudimentary electronics. He continued cutting wires and manipulating circuit boards when his work was interrupted by a familiar voice:

"Cyrus! Stop this now!"

Cyrus casually turned around as he tapped his cane on his left shoulder. Standing at the bottom of the staircase was a warrior with spike-blonde hair and Mako-enhanced blue eyes. He wore a black sleeveless woolen shirt with matching dark pants. On his left shoulder he wore a leather guard with a steel effigy of a wolf, and on his upper left arm was tied a pink ribbon. Cyrus had not anticipated that this warrior with the large metal sword would have caught up with him so quickly, but he immediately dismissed his surprise and replied with a smile:

"Cloud Strife. I had hoped that we could avoid another meeting like this. I suppose the Planet sees fit to test me…see if I am truly worthy to use the Clear Materia."

"I won't let you…" Cloud stated simply. "…I won't let you erase all life in this world just to satisfy your need for repentance."

"And why not?" Cyrus inquired. "You, of all people should want the Planet's forgiveness more than anyone. After all, it was because of your inaction that the last of the Cetra perished in the Forgotten City…and it was your weakness that allowed Sephiroth to call forth Meteor. Or do you dare to deny your role in those travesties?"

"Shut up. Your mind games aren't going to work. I've put my past behind me, and I've been forgiven by Aeris…"

"Have you? Are you sure it wasn't just another delusion that your fragile mind created? You are like every other human being on the Planet…you think that one small act of heroism or charity absolves you from the sins committed by your brethren and ancestors, and you come up with such excuses and reasons why you should be forgiven."

Cloud tensed up and held onto his sword tightly as Cyrus raised his right hand into the air. "You stand in the way of the Repentant and refuse to grant the Planet the energy it needs to cure itself. You would strike me down and let the hopes of a true Promised Land wither and die. And for that transgression, I think it's fitting that one of the Planet's own guardians strike you down for your sin."

A red light glowed brightly from Cyrus's raised arm as flames danced from his fingertips. Then, a circle of flames surrounded Cloud as he jumped out of the ring. Seconds later, the ground erupted in a geyser of lava as a large humanoid burst from the embers. This humanoid was eight feet tall and a mountain of chiseled, dark brown muscles with large hands and feet to match. It wore a simple red loincloth and sported a pair of large curving horns jutting out either side of its forehead. The flame this demon was spawned from continued burning on its body without it noticing or even caring…in fact, the demon seemed to revel in the fire. It gave Cloud a wicked and toothy smile and stood ready to pounce as Cyrus smiled.

"Ifrit! This traitor to the Planet intends on ending the life of your summoner. Tear him limb from limb and reduce his body to ashes in your hellfire," Cyrus commanded as he finally tricked the reactor door into opening.

Ifrit nodded as he lunged at Cloud with all his ethereal might as Cyrus casually walked inside the reactor. Cloud blocked Ifrit's advance with his sword as he tried to push back the summon. The intense heat began to wear on Cloud as he finally broke off and retreated a few meters away.

"_Damn it," _Cloud thought as he removed one of the smaller blades from his sword and readied himself. He knew full well that once a summoned monster was called forth, it would not relent until it or its enemy was destroyed. Cloud would need to defeat Ifrit if he was to stop Cyrus from destroying humanity.

"Let's go," he whispered as he rushed into battle with the Demon Lord of Flames.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Author's Notes:**

**Obligatory Summon Alert! Come on, a story like this needs to have at least one summoning, and since Bahamut has been WAY over-exposed in all the FFVII media (Neo, Zero, Fury, Sin), I decided to go with an old favorite of mine. Yes, Ifrit is my demonic brother from a fiery mother. See him and Cloud throw down in Chapter 21!**

**I'd like to thank everyone who's supported me in this project of mine. Special thanks go out to Writer Chica for her very large and quite awesome review. Glad my "Review Beg" joke was epic enough to bring about such feedback!**

**BTW, Kairi-loves-Sushi...you STILL ROCK!**

**Free your mind...free your mind...free your mind by releasing your thoughts on "The Rise of the Repentant" in the form of a review.**

**(Yeah, my burger joke was WAY better. Gotta dig deeper...get funnier! Eye of the Tiger, damn it!)**

**Thank you all,**

**"The Exile" Cyrus Truth**


	21. Chapter 21

Cloud made the first move, rushing Ifrit and bringing First Tsurugi down in an attempt to cleave the summon in two. Ifrit, however, jumped back and slammed his fist into the ground. A small earthquake emanated from Cloud's feet as the ground split open to unleash a pillar of flame. Cloud quickly blocked the fire with his sword, but the force of the attack sent Cloud flying high into the air. Ifrit took advantage by jumping up to meet the blond warrior mid-air and deliver a devastating axe-handle smash. The sheer power behind the blow rocketed Cloud downwards, his body hitting the ground hard. The Demon Lord of Flames then followed up by falling feet first and delivering a vicious double-foot stomp onto Cloud's torso, driving the warrior deeper into the mountain.

Ifrit leapt back and let loose a deafening roar as Cloud staggered back to his feet. Cloud did his best to ignore the intense pain he was in as he dropped back into his battle stance. The longer this battle took, the farther away Cyrus got. And Cloud was not about to allow Cyrus to succeed. Not when so many were counting on him…

Ifrit stopped roaring as he noticed Cloud standing in front of him. Enraged, the summon lunged at its opponent with increased fury. Cloud rolled out of the way and managed to get behind Ifrit. He took advantage by bringing both First Tsurugi and his offhand sword down on the demon's back, slashing Ifrit's hide open. Ifrit turned and howled in pain as flames and dark blood flowed from his wounds. Cloud attempted to drive his sword through Ifrit's stomach, but the demon managed to grab First Tsurugi in his large right hand and throttle Cloud with his left. As the Demon Lord of Flames held Cloud in his death grip, the summon slammed the warrior's body repeatedly into the ground and spun the warrior around before loosening his grip and sending Cloud flying into the side of the mountain.

As his body met the hard rock of Mt. Nibel, Cloud felt the wind escape his lungs. He tried to catch his breath only to cough up blood. "Damn it," he muttered, realizing he was in bad shape. Ifrit was too strong and fast for him to keep up with, especially with his attention not on this battle but on Cyrus.

"_Calm down," _Cloud ordered himself as he started breathing again. _"You have to focus on Ifrit. If you don't beat him, everything else will cease to matter. Focus…"_

Cloud's thoughts were interrupted by the sight of Ifrit gathering his energy in the form of a fire barrier that surrounded the demon. Cloud knew full well what was coming next…Ifrit's ultimate attack, Hellfire.

"Suit yourself," Cloud quietly said as he closed his eyes and focused his energy as well. The blonde warrior's body was soon bathed in a blue-white energy as he felt all his aches and pains slowly disappear. He added his offhand sword to First Tsurugi and held the completed fusion sword firmly as he opened his eyes. Ifrit roared in defiance as he began to rush towards Cloud, a move that Cloud immediately mimicked.

The warrior and the demon rushed at one another at breakneck speeds…one the manifestation of fire and despair, and the other a glimmering beacon of light and hope. Cloud readied himself to deliver a finishing slash as Ifrit continued pressing forward, rage in his eyes. Finally, the two opposing forces clashed in the form of a huge release of energy. Blue light and flames furiously exploded out from the nexus and caused the ever-sturdy Mt. Nibel to shutter and shake as if the mountain itself felt terror. Eventually, the energy dissipated as Cloud and Ifrit stood with their backs to one another. After several seconds, Ifrit dropped to one knee, clutching the deep wound in his chest as blood dripped from Cloud's blade. Ifrit didn't roar, didn't scream as he returned to the Planet and the flames that he was born from.

Cloud breathed a sigh of relief as he too fell to the ground. That last burst of energy had managed to mask the pain he was in, but with that gone he felt the full toll Ifrit had taken from his body. He reached for his tool pouch and hoped he had something to ease the pain.

He grabbed a vial from the pouch and brought it eye level. To his surprise, it was an X-Potion…one of the more powerful healing potions ever produced. They were especially hard to find as only top-tier chemists could produce them with any success. Cloud was confused because he never remembered buying the X-Potion or finding it as battle spoils. As he examined the bottle, he noticed a note attached to the bottom of the bottle. Cloud carefully removed the note, set the bottle down, and gingerly opened the note and read it.

_**Dear Cloud,**_

_**We're really glad you've decided to spend more time at home with us. We think Tifa's really happy that you're around more often, too! We know you get into fights with monsters every once in a while, and while we know you can handle any dumb old mu or zemzelett, we just wanted to give you something in case you needed the extra help.**_

_**We saw this X-Potion at Nero's Item Shop. We saved up our allowance for seven months and did chores for the neighbors to get the money. Finally, we had enough Gil to buy it. We snuck it into your item pouch when you were asleep because we wanted it to be a surprise. Besides, if we just gave it to you, you'd probably have us return it and get our money back!**_

_**Wherever you are, we just want you to be safe and come home to us. Take care, and we'll see you soon!**_

_**Love,**_

_**Denzel and Marlene**_

Cloud smiled as he neatly folded the note and put it in his back pocket. "Thank you…Denzel, Marlene. I'll come home soon, and my friends will be with me. I swear it."

Cloud quickly grabbed the X-Potion and drank it down completely. Immediately, the pain in his body began to disappear as the liquid repaired the internal damage inflicted by Ifrit and eased Cloud's suffering. Once the potion was finished, Cloud still felt sore…but the majority of the pain was completely gone.

The smile on Cloud's face quickly vanished as he stood up, grabbed his sword, and looked towards the reactor. His face showed his anger as he ran for the door, hoping that nothing else would stand in his way of stopping Cyrus and his mad designs.

"This ends now," Cloud muttered under his breath as he entered the Nibel Reactor.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This was Cyrus's first time inside a Mako reactor. If he didn't feel disgusted at the thought of standing inside one of the engines of the Planet's suffering, he might have actually been impressed.

The reactor was a cylindrical structure composed of three floors, all of which needed to be accessed by climbing a series of chains. Apparently, Shinra had decided that, due to this reactor being in a backwater area, it didn't need to be completely finished. The top floor housed the reactor itself, while the floor below that housed the monitoring equipment.

The bottom floor, and the one Cyrus currently found himself on, consisted of a narrow walkway leading from the front door to the pit of Lifestream below. Four years ago, the only thing down that pit was processed Mako. Now, the Mako had dissipated and was replaced by pure Lifestream. Cyrus contemplated the best way to get close to the Lifestream as he investigated the room on the other side of the walkway.

As he entered the room, he noticed the numerous pods that Shinra had set up. While he didn't know for sure, the claw marks on one of the pods seemed to suggest that these pods were used in some sort of experiment with Mako and monsters.

He walked up the central staircase in this room as he looked up at the heavily-sealed door in front of him. Above the door was an engraving that said, "JENOVA."

"So," Cyrus muttered as he fidgeted with his glasses and tightened his grip on his cane. "This is where they kept the abomination…"

Cyrus stopped and heard the sound of heavy boots running on steel. He turned around to see Cloud Strife looking up at him with sword drawn, rage and determination in his eyes. Although his clothes were a bit charred from his battle with Ifrit, he seemed to not be suffering from any injuries.

"Amazing," Cyrus said with complete honesty. "I knew you were strong, but to defeat Ifrit without any serious injury! Most impressive…"

The Repentant leader raised his right arm as it glowed green. Cloud felt the magical trappings of a Sleep spell surround him. He shook it off as the spell faded, leaving Cyrus a bit surprised.

"My spells don't work? Hmm," Cyrus mused as he stole another look at the ribbon Cloud had tied to his arm. It almost appeared to Cyrus that the ribbon emitted a faint glow. "That ribbon…it was a gift from the last Cetra, wasn't it? And it seems that it prevents me from using my status magic. How interesting…and annoying."

"Enough talk," Cloud demanded. "This ends now. You're out of tricks, Cyrus. Hand over the Clear Materia and surrender."

"Hand it over? Never! This is the key to the Repentant's forgiveness and the Planet's salvation. I would rather die than let a traitor like you possess such a gift of the Lifestream!"

"If you don't surrender, then you will die," Cloud affirmed, "especially if you plan on fighting me with that cane."

Cyrus shot Cloud a quizzical look as he started laughing uncontrollably. "Cane? What cane?"

Cyrus stopped laughing as his cane started to glow bright white. The cane began to grow in shape as the shaft stretched out until the staff was as tall as its wielder. The grip also grew out to close to a meter in length as it curved and sharpened into a blade. Cyrus smiled as his cane completed its metamorphosis into a vicious looking scythe.

"Avalon's Key," Cyrus said as he held the bronze-colored scythe behind him with his left hand. "It's been a long time since I've had to fight someone like this…"

Cloud and Cyrus stood silent for a few seconds before Cyrus broke it. "Why do you insist on fighting me? No one will feel any pain once I use the Clear Materia. They will simply cease to exist as physical beings and return to the Lifestream. My desire is to give the Planet the spirit energy it needs to heal itself and create a new race, one who will look at our mistakes and learn from them. My dream is to bring about a brand new race of Cetra, who will return to tend to the Planet and bring about a true utopia. Why would you want to stop me from bringing forth the Promised Land?"

Cloud shook his head as if he was disappointed, "You don't understand. You think you're brave for doing this…but you're just being a coward. The Clear Materia is the easy way out, a way for you to feel forgiven without putting forth actual effort.

"Yes, humanity owes the Planet a debt it may not be able to repay. But we've learned from our past mistakes and will work with the Planet as our penance. You would deny us the chance to fully atone…and most importantly, the right to live. So, yes…I will fight you and end this madness."

Cyrus shook his head in disbelief. "Easy? How dare you! You cannot possibly comprehend the pain and suffering I endured to find this Legendary Materia…the sacrifices I and my Collective paid to see that humanity answers for its sins! And you have the gall to say I'm taking the 'easy way out?' Blasphemy!"

Cyrus then grabbed a hold of Avalon's Key with both hands, his right hand out in front and the blade behind him pointed towards the heavens. "It seems I have no choice then. For the sake of the Planet and my fallen comrades…I, Cyrus the Repentant, will send your soul to hell."

Cyrus began to glow in ethereal energy as he jumped into the air and propelled himself at Cloud at lightning-fast speeds. Cloud tightened his stance as he prepared for the imminent collision.

The final battle had begun…

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Author's Notes:**

**MoriMemento and Kishi (hope you don't mind the shortening Kairi-loves-Sushi), thanks for the reviews!**

**Well, here it is...the final battle! Cloud verses Cyrus with the fate of humanity in the balance. How exciting is...**

**_Knock, Knock..._**

**_Me: Who the hell is that? *walks to the door and opens it*_**

**_Man in Red: Ho, Ho, Ho! Merry Christmas, Cyrus Truth!_**

**_Me: Holy hell in a handbasket! Santa Claus...in July?!_**

**_Santa: That's right. You've worked so hard this year and have made so many people happy with "The Rise of Repentant" that I decided to get you a present early! *reaches into his bag*_**

**_Me: All right! This is freakin' awesome!_**

**_Santa: Here you go...lots of reviews for your story!_**

**_Me: Oh, YEAH! Just what I wanted! Thank you so much, Santa!_**

**_Santa: You're very welcome. Merry Christmas! *turns to walk away*_**

**_Me: W-wait, Santa! Since you're here, do you think you can help me get a job?_**

**_*Santa turns around with a pissed-off look in his eyes*_**

**_Santa: Why you ungrateful little bastard! I give you a great present, and you have the BALLS to ask me for something else! You piece of crap!_**

**_Me: H-h-hold on a minute, Santa! I didn't mean to..._**

**_Santa: SANTA PUNCH!!! *socks me in the gut with his fist*_**

**_*I double-over in pain. Santa kicks me once on the ground, turns around and walks away in a huff*_**

**Ugh...moral of the story: don't piss off Santa. Seriously, DON'T DO IT.**

**Until next time,**

**"The Exile" Cyrus Truth**


	22. Chapter 22

The sound of clashing metal echoed throughout the Nibel Reactor as Cloud blocked Cyrus's first strike. Cyrus continued the attack with rapid thrusts and slashes, forcing Cloud to back out of the pod containment room onto the entry catwalk.

Cloud countered with a series of blows, all which Cyrus either dodged or blocked with the shaft of his scythe. Cyrus shrugged off Cloud's last blow and immediately went back on the offensive, repeatedly slashing with his blade as Cloud used his sword for blocking.

Until today, Cloud had never fought someone who wielded a scythe. Based on his first exchange with Cyrus, however, he was able to determine the majority of what Cyrus's main strategy was. He used both hands to slash with the blade in large yet quick arcs, and every time Cloud block him, Cyrus would run the shaft across the blade of Cloud's sword in an attempt to drive his scythe's edge into Cloud. Such quick responses forced Cloud to be constantly on his guard, and the few times he was able to get any offense in Cyrus were all for naught, as the Repentant was as quick at defending as he was at attacking. Cyrus's combat style reminding Cloud of a twisted dance of some sort, as the scythe seemingly became a part of Cyrus's body. Cyrus sent Cloud reeling back with a powerful blow that staggered the blond warrior. Cyrus smiled maliciously as he held his scythe behind his back as he said:

"What's wrong? Are you not the great hero of the Planet…the man who defeated the nightmare Sephiroth not once but twice? And yet you cannot even get past my guard? How pathetic!"

Cloud's rage overtook him as he ran as Cyrus, his sword high above his head. He jumped up and unleashed a Braver attack that would have cleaved Cyrus in two had the Repentant not raised his weapon and blocked the blow with his scythe's shaft.

"Or maybe…" Cyrus continued as he leaned in close while holding Cloud's fusion sword off, "…you've never fought anything like me before. True, you're a far better warrior than me, and if this were a test of one's own strength you would most certainly have killed me by now. Fortunately, that is not the case. The knowledge of the Cetra combined with the power of the materia fused in my body have made me stronger, faster, better than you. With the wisdom of the Planet flowing through my veins, I cannot be stopped!"

As Cyrus finished speaking, he pulled his scythe to the left and drew first blood as the blade dug into Cloud's right arm. Cyrus pulled back the scythe as the blade cut deeper. Cloud quickly backed up as the gash continued to bleed heavily. Cyrus smirked as he shook the blood off from Avalon's Key.

Cloud, in spite of the bleeding, took First Tsurugi in his right hand as he removed one of the smaller blades. He gripped both swords with a renewed determination as he ran towards Cyrus. The Repentant readied himself as First Tsurugi came in from the left. Cyrus blocked it with Avalon's Key as Cloud brought down his offhand sword on Cyrus's face. Cyrus backed off as the blade made a small cut across the bridge of his nose, ruining his glasses.

Cyrus shouldered his scythe as he went to wipe the blood from his face. Cloud took the initiative and went in for the kill. Cyrus immediately countered with a powerful Flare spell which knocked the blonde warrior down onto the catwalk before he ever got a chance to get close. Cyrus finished wiping the blood away from his eyes as he glared at Cloud with his hazel eyes. Somehow, without his glasses, Cyrus's stare almost seemed to pierce the warrior's soul and freeze Cloud's blood in his veins. It was like he was looking up at the demon disguised as the Repentant for the first time.

Then, Cyrus smiled his wicked grin as he took his scythe and drove its blade into the catwalk. In one move, he managed to slice cleanly through the steel supports, causing the section Cloud was laying on to plummet towards the Lifestream below. As Cloud fell, Cyrus pursued him as he continued his assault. Cloud did his best to block Cyrus's slashes with both First Tsurugi and his secondary sword as he and the Repentant continued falling.

Finally, their descent was halted as both Cloud and Cyrus landed on a platform that stood a couple of meters above the pool of Lifestream. The Shinra Electric Power Company used this lower platform to monitor the Mako levels and ensure that the reactor was utilizing the Mako at peak efficiency. The platform was semi-circular in shape and was as wide as the reactor's diameter. Cloud and Cyrus both got to their feet at the same time as Cloud added his offhand sword to First Tsurugi and grabbed the fusion sword with both hands.

"_If I can't out-slash him, I'll out-muscle him," _Cloud thought as Cyrus steadied Avalon's Key and ran toward him, looking like he was preparing another flurry of slashes. Cloud dropped to his defensive stance as Cyrus did something completely unexpected: the Repentant slammed the tip of his scythe into the ground and used his weapon to pole vault over Cloud. Cyrus twisted in the air as he landed behind Cloud and brought his blade down across the warrior's back.

Cloud wasn't fast enough to stop Cyrus as Avalon's Key dug into skin and muscles. Cloud felt the pain as the blade shredded his back from top to bottom. The blonde warrior leapt away as he felt his strength being sapped away like the blood seeping from his arm and back. He struggled to stand back up and hold his sword as Cyrus mockingly tapped the shaft of his scythe on his left shoulder.

"So, do you still think I can't fight?" Cyrus condescendingly asked. "I've had many years to learn many things, and I knew that when I started this quest and formed the Repentant that people like you would come and hunt me down. So, in addition to my research into the Cetra, I learned the art of combat and forged Avalon's Key. Personally I despise fighting like this…but don't think for one second that my dislike of combat means I won't strike anyone down who stands in the way of my penance!"

"Shut…up," Cloud weakly said as he continued to fight the fatigue and pain.

Cyrus laughed as he sat his scythe's end down on the floor, blade pointing left. "You repulsive little bug. You are nothing more than the manifestation of humanity's sin…a freak of science created by one mad scientist's hubris and arrogance. All you are…all you will ever be is the broken legacy of the SOLDIER you once admired."

"SHUT UP!" Cloud screamed as he unleashed an overpowered Blade Beam. Cyrus had no time to dodge or block as the energy blade hit him and sent him rocketing into the reactor's wall. The Blade Beam dissipated as Cyrus slumped to his hands and knees, his chest still smoldering from where Cloud's attack had impacted. Cyrus was breathing heavily; but as he stood to face his adversary, Cloud was shocked to see that Cyrus suffered nothing more than a light slash across his torso. Cyrus's mocking attitude was replaced by one of rage as he picked up his weapon and rushed over with the primal lust to kill.

Cyrus furiously struck at Cloud with blows and slashes from his scythe. It took everything Cloud had to block Cyrus's assault with his fusion sword, but Cloud was beginning to feel his strength and stamina give in as Cyrus started to find holes in his defense.

A series of smaller slashes on his arms and legs later, Cloud knew he had reached his limit. Cyrus was different from every other opponent he had ever faced. While Sephiroth relied on his natural talents plus the added strength of his "mother" Jenova, Cyrus's inhuman power came from the Planet itself. During his fights with Sephiroth, Cloud had received help from the Lifestream and specifically Aeris…but now, neither was there to lend him strength.

Cloud's thoughts were shattered as Cyrus landed a blow with his scythe's shaft upside Cloud's head. The force disoriented the blonde warrior as Cyrus took advantage…by driving Avalon's Key deep into Cloud's lower torso. The blade cut clean through as Cloud felt the blood fill his lungs and flow from his stomach. Cyrus smiled as he swung his scythe and the body attached to it 180 degrees to the right. Cloud separated from the scythe as he fell to the floor in a heap, his fingers still wrapped tightly around his sword.

Cyrus looked at the body of his opponent with disdain as he shouldered Avalon's Key. He carefully pulled the Clear Materia out of his coat pocket as he declared, "You lose, Cloud Strife. I'd weep for you, but I have no tears to spare for traitors like you. I have a penance to serve, and forgiveness to achieve for myself and my Collective. If you are half as strong as humanity made you out to be, I dare you to stay alive long enough to watch me use this Clear Materia and usher in the end of the blight called humanity…"

Cyrus turned his back as he walked towards the edge of the platform. Cloud struggled to get up, but his body would not comply with his wishes. Cloud continued to cough up blood as his vision began to blur and darken.

"_No…no! It can't end here. I can't die yet! I…I…"_

Cloud's thoughts started to vanish as the darkness came to claim him. He was dying, and soon the rest of humanity would join him. He silently cursed himself and his weakness as the sight of Cyrus began to fade away. His spirit was about to sever its connection to its vessel…that is, until a feminine voice called out from the deepest recesses of Cloud's mind:

"_Cloud? Wake up…"_

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Author's Notes:**

**Oh no! Cloud's dead! The Planet is DOOMED!**

**...or is it?**

**There's one final chapter...so stay tuned and find out!**

**FYI: I've recovered from the Santa Punch. Man, did it hurt like hell...**

**No reviews for the last chapter? That makes Cyrus Truth sad...please, please review The Exile's story. Pretty please?**

**_Inner Voice: Cyrus, quit being such a sissy!_**

**_Me: Screw you, Voice!_**

**Until next time,**

**"The Exile" Cyrus Truth**


	23. Chapter 23

"Cloud, wake up!"

Cloud opened his eyes. Instead of lying in a pool of his own blood at the bottom of the Nibel Reactor, he found himself lying on a bed of yellow and white flowers, surrounded by a white light. Cloud's hand went to where Cyrus's blade had skewered him only to find that the wound was closed and the pain was gone. He tried to get back on his feet only to be stopped by a slender arm softly pushing him back down.

Cloud looked to see who the arm belonged to…a smiling, beautiful woman with honey-brown hair and green eyes. She wore her hair in a ponytail tied with a ribbon, and her dress was a matching color of pink. When she spoke, her voice was gentle and calming. "Aeris…"

"The one and only," Aeris sweetly replied as she continued kneeling at the blonde warrior's side. "But, I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

"Am I…dead?" Cloud asked timidly.

"Not quite!" a lively, boisterous voice exclaimed as a tall figure in a standard-issue black First Class SOLDIER uniform emerged from the distance. He was as tall as Cloud and had almost the exact same build. The only thing that stood in direct contrast between Cloud and this man was the huge spiky mess of black hair on that man's head. He knelt down beside Aeris and draped his right arm across the girl's shoulders as he flashed a big, toothy grin.

"Zack…" Cloud murmured as he once again tried to sit up. Zack responded by shoving him back down and saying, "Whoa, whoa! Take it easy, Cloud! You have to rest a little bit. Can't be saving the Planet at 50%, now can you?"

Cloud relented as he meekly asked, "Where am I? The Lifestream?"

Aeris shook her head. "Not exactly. Think of this place as your subconscious, and us as memories. We saw you were having a tough time and decided to lend you a hand."

"Yep! It's one of the benefits of being in love with a Cetra!" Zack declared as Aeris gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. "All right, all right, I'll get serious."

"You two haven't changed a bit," Cloud remarked with a small smile. The smile was brief, but it was there long enough for Aeris to notice.

"Is that a smile? From Cloud? It seems you're the one who's changed. For the better, if you ask me."

"Gotta agree with the lady, Choco-head," Zack affirmed. "We were worried about you for a while, but we've seen how far you've come over the past couple of years. It's nice to know you've started to forgive yourself."

"Yeah…" Cloud quietly said as he turned his gaze upward. After a few seconds, he said, "Aeris? Can I ask you something?"

"Of course! What's on your mind?"

"What Cyrus is trying to do…he claims it's the will of the Planet. Is…is he right? Does the Planet really want Cyrus to succeed?"

Aeris pondered that question before answering, "To be honest, I don't know. I know there are some spirits in the Lifestream wishing for Cyrus's success, but I know Zack and I don't want that at all. Why? Are you losing your will to fight?"

Cloud shook his head, "It's just that…I want to do the right thing. And while Cyrus is insane, he does make one very good point: we humans are selfish. I claim to fight for the Planet, but that's not it at all…"

"Oh yeah? Then why do you fight, kid?" Zack inquired.

"…I fight to protect. Yeah, I fight to protect those closest to me. Up until now, fighting to protect meant saving the Planet, but Cyrus is different. His plans won't hurt the Planet, but will hurt those I want to protect. My friends, Denzel, Marlene…"

"Tifa?" Aeris asked.

Cloud nodded. "I was afraid of telling her how I really feel, but…I love her. And, I think I always have. I just couldn't bring myself to tell her because I…well, I never thought I deserved her. But even if she doesn't feel the same way I do, I want to protect her. I want to keep the promise I made all those years ago at the well."

Aeris giggled. "Well then, isn't that reason enough to fight?"

Cloud was a bit surprised at Aeris's response, but he finally understood what she was trying to tell him. "Yeah, it is. Thanks for helping me see that."

"No problem," Aeris said with a smile as she and Zack stood up and started heading off into the light. Aeris turned around and continued, "Oh, and Cloud? When you see Tifa again, tell her what you told us. I bet she really would like to hear it?"

"Yeah!" Zack added. "It's time to stop being so afraid of your feelings, pal. Just suck it up and sweep that pretty lady off her feet! You've got your forgiveness, now it's time to be happy! You hearin' me?"

Cloud closed his eyes and smiled as he gave his two friends a thumbs-up. Both Aeris and Zack nodded as they disappeared into the light, hand in hand. Cloud felt the ground beneath him dissolve as he started to gently fall out of his subconscious and back into reality.

"Thank you Aeris. Thank you Zack," Cloud whispered as he shifted his focus on the task at hand…stopping Cyrus Thresher…

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Cyrus sat cross-legged at the edge of the platform, a meditative stance that Nimuria had taught him years ago. His scythe was to his left as he held the Clear Materia in both hands. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he began reciting the Cetra Prayer of Life. The ancient words flowed from him as he felt a sharp pang in the pit of his stomach. Cyrus ignored the discomfort as he continued reciting the prayer, hoping with all his soul to reach the Planet and gain the energy needed to make the Clear Materia glow.

Once he finished his prayer, Cyrus opened his eyes and looked down at the Lifestream. A few seconds later, Cyrus had his response as tendrils of energy arose of the Lifestream and rested above where he was sitting.

"Yes…yes! The Planet has heard my prayer! Holy Lifestream…lifeblood of the Planet, grant me the strength to use your gift and bring about the new age!" Cyrus pleaded as he held his hands up as if to receive the energy in an embrace.

To Cyrus's horror, however, the spirit energy did not give in to Cyrus and his prayer. Instead, the energy bypassed him and began to enter the body of Cloud. Cyrus angrily pocketed the Clear Materia, grabbed his scythe, and stood up as the Lifestream began to fuse itself with the fallen warrior. Cloud's wounds, even the killing blow in his stomach, began to close and seal themselves as Cloud gingerly made his way to his feet, his sword grasped firmly in his right hand.

"What is this? What sort of trickery is this?!" Cyrus demanded as he stood ready to fight.

"No tricks, no deception. The Planet has chosen," Cloud answered as his voice started to echo. The energy surrounding Cloud began to pulse and vibrate as Cyrus stood by.

"LIES!" Cyrus hissed as he rushed over to Cloud and brought Avalon's Key down on the warrior. The spirit energy stopped Cyrus from drawing blood as it sent the Repentant flying back towards the end of the platform. Cyrus staggered back to his feet as Cloud took his sword in both hands and started to speak.

"I spoke with Aeris, Cyrus. She helped me realize what was worth fighting for."

"And what might that be, traitor?" Cyrus angrily inquired.

"To fight for friendship…to fight for love. To give your heart and soul into protecting something precious…that's what it means to be human. That's how we learn…how we can atone for the mistakes our brethren committed. You fight for your own self-satisfaction, and because of that, you'll never achieve forgiveness."

Cyrus was seething to the point of convulsing as he furiously replied, "NONSENSE! I have the means to atone, and I will have the power! The Planet will be saved, and humanity will be washed away in the storm! I will be FORGIVEN!!!"

Cloud sighed as he stood his head. "I'm ending this now. Omnislash…"

The swords that made up Cloud's fusion sword began to glow and separate from First Tsurugi. The blades formed a circle around Cyrus as he stood in shock at what was transpiring.

Then, in an instant, Cyrus felt the full force of First Tsurugi slashing up on him. The blade not only cut Cyrus deeply, but also sent him flying up as the halo of swords followed him. Cloud pursued him and continued his assault, using each blade to deliver a series of powerful cuts and blows. To Cyrus, it seemed as if with every new blade Cloud used he left a copy of himself in the same blue-green energy he was surrounded in. Each slash sent Cyrus rocketing higher and higher as the wounds kept piling on and on until the Repentant and Cloud were back up at ground level, right above the ruined catwalk from earlier. Then, Cyrus looked up in fear as the blonde warrior held First Tsurugi and descended upon him with a thunderous slash. Cyrus felt as if a behemoth had driven its horns clear through as his body violently crashed onto the steel floor below him. The images of Cloud vanished as the ring of swords returned to First Tsurugi, reassembling the fusion sword once again.

Cloud landed gently onto the catwalk as he sheathed his sword. Cyrus, who had suffered gashes and contusions too numerous to count, somehow gathered the strength to drive the tip of Avalon's Key onto the floor and use the scythe to pull himself to his feet.

Blood was flooding out the Repentant's wounds as he said in between gasping for air, "This…isn't…over. I will…not…be killed…until…my penance is complete."

"_Cyrus…Master Cyrus…it's okay."_

Both Cloud and Cyrus heard an otherworldly voice as a figure appeared before the dying Repentant. To Cyrus's surprise, it was the spirit of Nimuria, who stood before him with her arm outstretched. For the first time, Nimuria was smiling.

"_Master, it's time. The Planet is calling you…it's calling you home."_

"I…can't," Cyrus protested. "Not until I've…been forgiven."

"_You already have been," _Nimuria softly replied. _"The Planet wants you to rejoin the Lifestream. You have fought hard, and the Planet wishes for you to finally rest. Let's go…together."_

Cyrus hung his head low as he smiled. "Yes, let's go. I will…see you soon…my angel."

The spirit of Nimuria vanished as Cyrus fumbled through his pockets before producing the Clear Materia. He motioned for Cloud to come closer as he coughed up blood. He whispered, "I don't think I will be needing this anymore, Strife. I'm…leaving…to return to the Planet. Do what you will…and may the will of the Planet…be done…"

Cyrus released his grip on his scythe as his body, now devoid of its spirit, fell to the steel floor without so much as a thud. Cyrus Thresher, the Prophet of the Repentant, had returned to the Lifestream. Cloud took the Clear Materia and, after staring at it for a few seconds, hurled the orb down the reactor into the Lifestream below.

"Take care of that for me, Aeris," Cloud whispered as he stepped over the body of his fallen foe and made his way out of the reactor.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Cloud had barely taken two steps out of the reactor when a familiar voice shouted over the Mt. Nibel winds:

"Cloud!"

Cloud turned around to see Tifa limping towards him, her leg heavily bandaged. Despite his joy of seeing her alive, he was immediately overcome with concern. He ran over to her and embraced her while exclaiming, "Tifa! You're wounded!"

Tifa, surprised by the blonde warrior's overt concern, calmed him down by saying, "I'm fine…just a small knife wound. It's nothing serious. What about you? Is…is it over?"

Cloud nodded as he continued to hold onto Tifa. "Cyrus is dead. I think he made his peace in the end. The Clear Materia has returned to the Lifestream."

Tifa nodded and smiled. "Well, then I guess Aeris can take care of that materia from here on out. So, we saved the world again, didn't we?"

Cloud chuckled. "Yeah…we did. Listen, Tifa…"

"Cloud?" Tifa asked. "Why haven't you let me go yet?"

"Because…because I never want to let you go again."

Tifa's confusion was replaced by butterflies as Cloud pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was hot and moist as Cloud drank in the taste of Tifa's lips. After a few seconds, Cloud backed off as he explained:

"Tifa…I love you. I always loved you. I just never had the courage to tell you because I thought I was never worthy enough to have your love. But I…I just want to be with you and stand by your side for as long as I live. I just…"

Cloud was silenced as Tifa put her index finger to Cloud's lips. "Cloud, shut up."

Tifa immediately threw herself at Cloud as she grabbed the back of his head with her hand and kissed him again. All the pent-up passion, all the emotions that the two had for one another flooded through them as they continued to drink one another in. A few minutes passes as the two refused to let one another go until they had no choice but to release the kiss and catch their breath. Cloud looked into the eyes of Tifa as she met his gaze. The two smiled not as friends or comrades, but as lovers who had finally tore down the barriers around their hearts and saw one another for what seemed like the first time.

They smiled, wrapped in one another's arms as the sound of airship engines roared over the mountaintops. The _Shera _lowered itself until its outer deck was at eye level with the cliff that housed the reactor. There, standing on the deck, were all of their friends waving and hollering as they knew that Cloud had been triumphant…in more ways than one.

Cloud looked at his friends and back at Tifa as he felt happy for the first time in his life. The future, once bleak and full of despair, now seemed wide open and full of hope to the blonde-haired warrior. He looked at Tifa with love in his eyes as he whispered:

"Tifa…let's go home."

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Author's Notes:**

**Wow...I actually finished this story? Really? Wow, kudos to me!**

**So that's "The Rise of the Repentant." Hope you all enjoyed it!**

**Special thanks to the following people who favorited my story and kept me motivated: Kairi-loves Sushi (AKA Kishi ;-P), MoriMemento, alwayskh, Command76, forevermare, and last but not least Lioneh! You guys are all freakin' awesome!**

**Well, before I get started on my next project, I'd like to see if any of my readers have any questions about this story, my thoughts or what I was thinking when I was writing, what my next project is going to be, or anything like that. If I get enough of the questions, I'll add an additional chapter with your questions and my answers titled "Truth Talk."**

**If you have a question, send me a Private Message. I look forward to hearing from you.**

***Sigh* For a moment like this, I don't feel a Review Beg Joke is proper. So, I'll simply ask that you consider leaving a review and that you let me know if you enjoyed the story.**

**Until next time,**

**"The Exile" Cyrus Truth**


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